Pro-Israel News

PM tells US forum Abbas won’t confront fanaticism, claims Israel

helped prevent bad Iran deal, vows not to pass law undermining Israel’s

democratic character

 

BY RAPHAEL AHREN December 7, 2014, 8:01 pm | The Times of Israel|

 

 

Last year’s peace talks with the Palestinian Authority failed not because of Israeli

settlement expansion, but because the Palestinians are simply not ready for peace yet,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged Sunday.

Speaking to the Brookings Institution’s 11th annual Saban Forum in Washington via a prerecorded

video, Netanyahu said continued incitement proved Ramallah was not prepared to make peace

with Israel, and layed out Israel’s three main demands of the Palestinians.

“The talks ended because the Palestinians wanted them to end,” Netanyahu said.

He charged that negotiations broke down because Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud

Abbas entered a unity government with the Hamas terror group and because the Palestinians

rejected the security arrangements Israel demanded.

 

“Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership is simply not prepared, and I hope this changes, but it’s

not yet prepared to truly confront violence and fanaticism within Palestinian society, within their

own ranks,” Netanyahu added.

“For nine months we negotiated with the Palestinians, but they consistently refused to engage us

on our legitimate security concerns, just as they refused to discuss recognizing Israel as the

nation­state of the Jewish people, while at the same time insisting that Israel recognize a nationstate

of the Palestinian people.”

 

The prime minister accused the PA leadership of fueling violence against Israel. “It engages in

incitement day in and day out,” he said. “I think it’s important to confront this. I don’t think sticking

our head in the sand promotes real peace and I don’t believe that false hopes promote real peace.

I think they just push peace further away.”

 

Real peace will only come once the Palestinians accept “the three pillars of peace,” Netanyahu

said: recognition of Israel as the nation­state of the Jewish people; an end to all claims, including

the right of return; and a long­term Israeli security presence in the West Bank.

“I will never give up on this triangle of true peace,” he vowed.

In his comments, Netanyahu did not directly address reports of an Israeli strike on military sites in

Syria hours earlier.

 

But he said Israel was challenged by “unprecedented instability afflicting the entire region.

“Where once seemingly coherent nations and clearly defined borders stood, we now see chaos —

in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya, in Yemen and Lebanon,” he continued.

The collapse of the Middle East’s old order has made “pragmatic Arab governments” understand

that Israel is not their enemy, the prime minister said, saying that Jerusalem and its moderate Arab

neighbors have much to gain by cooperating. “And this cooperation could, in turn, open the door to

peace.”

 

Netanyahu also said Israel had helped head off a bad deal with Iran last month. “A November 24

deadline for an agreement has come and gone, and that’s fortunate,” he said. “Our voice and our

concerns played a critical role in preventing a bad deal… We must use the time available to

increase the pressure on Iran from developing a nuclear arms capability.”

The major powers and Iran agreed to extend the deadline for a deal in Iran nuclear talks to June

30. Israel has objected persistently to any deal that would leave Iran with uranium enrichment

capacity. The United States and other powers say that a minimal capacity is likely in a final deal.

Despite Israel heading toward new elections, which effectively freezes all current legislation,

Netanyahu also vowed he would not pass any law that “undermines Israel’s democratic

character,” responding to critics of a bill he has pushed enshrining Israel’s character as a Jewish

state.

 

Israelis are proud to have created “a genuinely democratic state” that guarantees “equal rights for

all its citizens, regardless of race, religion or sex,” he said. “And this will not change. In standing

up for Israel’s identity as the nation­state of the Jewish people, I will never agree to legislation that

undermines Israel’s democratic character. Not now, not ever.”

While almost three­quarters of respondents say America is a loyal ally,

only 37% see president’s attitude to Jewish state as positive

 

BY TAMAR PILEGGI December 5, 2014, 1:28 am | The Times of Israel| 

 

Israelis have an overwhelming appreciation of the United States, but harbor increasingly

negative views of US President Barack Obama’s Middle East foreign policy, according to a

public opinion poll carried out by Bar­Ilan University’s Begin­Sadat Center for Strategic

Studies.

Despite the positive attitudes towards the US, the poll found that Israelis are

generally mistrustful of the US president, with only 37 percent of respondents calling Obama’s

views of Israel “positive,” while 61% characterized his attitude towards Israel as “negative” or

“neutral.”

 

A similar BESA poll carried out in 2012 showed that 51% of Israelis termed Obama’s attitude

towards Israel as positive.

According to the new survey, 96% of Israelis categorized diplomatic relations with the US as

“important” or “very important,” and 74% said Washington would come to Israel’s defense against

existential threats.

Nearly three­quarters of respondents considered America a loyal ally to Israel.

Reflecting a lack of confidence in Obama’s foreign policy, 52% of respondents said his stance on

the Israeli­Palestinian conflict was “bad,” another 50% disapproved of his policies towards Iran,

and 47% indicated disapproval of his policies regarding the Islamic State.

Sixty­five percent of Israelis believe that since Obama’s election, the position of the United States

in the Middle East has been weakened or very weakened.

 

Turning to US support for Israel, 58% of respondents attributed it to the strategic partnership

between the two countries, 32% to the “political prowess” of American Jews, 5% to the shared

values of politicians, and 1% to the religious beliefs of Evangelical Christians.

If diplomatic efforts fail to stop Iran’s nuclear aspirations, 53% of Israelis said they would support a

military strike on Iran, and 45% said they would support a strike even if the US opposes it.

Survey co­director Dr. Yael Elkon said the survey’s results indicate “that despite the fact that

Israelis are deeply disconcerted about President Obama’s Middle East policies with regards to

Israel­Palestinian affairs, regional uprisings, and Iran — the Israeli public remains one of the most

pro­American communities in the world.”

 

“Overwhelming majorities view the US and Israel as having similar strategic interests in the Middle

East, see the US as Israel’s loyal ally, and as a friend that will come to Israel’s aid in times of

trouble,” she concluded in a press release Thursday.

The poll was released in advance of a two­day BESA Center seminar on America’s standing in

the world, scheduled to begin on Monday in Ramat Gan.

 

Legislation to deepen defense, energy ties, strengthen cooperation in

R&D, business, academics

 

BY REBECCA SHIMONI STOIL December 4, 2014, 4:31 am

 

WASHINGTON – The landmark US­Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 passed its

final legislative hurdle and advanced to the White House for President Barack

Obama’s signature during a Wednesday evening Congressional session.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously in September.

“I am proud that the House and Senate spoke with one voice to pass this bill that reaffirms and

strengthens the relationship between the United States and Israel,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer (DCA),

one of the bill’s two original sponsors in the Senate. “I look forward to the president signing

this critical legislation.”

 

“This bipartisan bill demonstrates Congress’s commitment to supporting our nation’s longstanding

ally, Israel,” Senator Roy Blunt (R­MO), the bill’s other sponsor added. “I thank my colleagues in

the House and Senate for their support in passing this important legislation, and I look forward to

the president signing it into law.”

 

The legislation deepens US­Israeli cooperation on defense and energy, and expresses “the sense

of Congress that Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States.” In addition, it authorizes

an increase of $200 million in the value of US weapons held in forward stockpiles in Israel, to a

total of $1.8 billion. In the event of an emergency, Israel can access the stockpiles as long as it

reimburses the US for any weapons used.

The bill also expands cooperation on research and development, business, agriculture, water

management and academics.

 

The bill requires the administration to take steps toward allowing Israel to be included in the top­tier

category for license­free exports of certain US defense technologies and products as well as to

provide more frequent and more detailed assessments on the status of Israel’s qualitative military

edge over its neighbors.

 

Earlier this year, Congress increased US funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system,

to $351 million for fiscal year 2015 from $235 million the previous year.

A controversial section of the Strategic Partnership bill that sought to secure a special exemption

for Israel in the Visa Waiver Program was replaced instead with language that simply states that it

shall be the policy of the United States to include Israel in the list of countries that participate in the

Visa Waiver Program when Israel satisfies — and as long as Israel continues to satisfy — the

requirements for inclusion in the program.

Members of the House on both sides of the aisle quickly congratulated the bipartisan effort in

bringing the bill to passage.

 

“The US­Israel relationship is based on a shared determination to defend democracy and ensure

that the people of Israel can live peacefully in their ancient homeland,” lauded House Democratic

Whip Steny Hoyer (D­MD). “Those who would stand opposed to Israel’s right to exist or its

important historic role ought to see in today’s legislative action a reminder that the American

people stands shoulder­to­shoulder with our ally Israel as it seeks the peace and security it

deserves.”

 

Shortly after the bill passed, the American Jewish Committee congratulated Congress for its

“moral leadership” in passing the legislation, which proponents said would create a special status

for Israel.

 

Bipartisan legislation, which has been a focus of AIPAC lobbying, will

strengthen defense, energy cooperation

 

BY REBECCA SHIMONI STOIL December 3, 2014, 1:59 pm

 

WASHINGTON — Congress was poised to give its final approval Wednesday

afternoon to a bill that supporters say will create a unique status for Israel and serve

as a framework for increased partnership in a number of key sectors, particularly

energy and defense. If all goes as expected, the long­anticipated legislation will represent a

significant achievement for the pro­Israel groups that pushed for its passage.

 

“This bipartisan measure will strengthen cooperation between our two countries on a wide range

of issues from defense to energy, ensure that Israel has the resources to defend herself in an

emergency, and affirm Israel’s ability to participate in the visa waiver program as long as she

meets existing requirements,” said Senator Barbara Boxer (D­CA), who authored the Senate

version of the United States­Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, along with Roy Blunt (RMO).

“This legislation sends a clear message that America’s bond with Israel remains unbreakable, and

I am proud that it passed the Senate unanimously,” she said.

 

Although the bill is most likely to be considered on Wednesday, there’s a chance that scheduling

uncertainties could push it to later in the week.

The bill, which has been a keystone of AIPAC lobbying since early 2013, issues a Sense of

Congress describing Israel as a “major strategic partner” of the United States, reflecting the

importance that Congress ascribes to the US­Israel relationship and giving name to the legislation

as a whole.

Following a summer in which the US and Israel tangled over weapons resupplies during and

immediately following Operation Protective Edge, the bill would permit an increase of $200 million

in the value of US weapons held in Israel, bringing the total to $1.8 billion. The stockpiles in Israel

are designed to allow the US quick resupply for its own needs in case of a major Mideast conflict,

but can also be used by Israel in the event of an emergency as long as Israel reimburses the US

for weapons used.

 

The bill also requires the president to take steps so that Israel may be included in the top­tier

category of the Strategic Trade Authorization Exception. In 2011, the Commerce Department

created the exception, which allows 44 countries to qualify for some exceptions to arms export

licensing requirements. Israel is currently in the second­tier category, which provides a more

restricted list of license­free goods.

 

Another section authorizes the president to carry out cooperation between the United States and

Israel across a range of policy areas, including energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and

alternative fuel technologies. Although the bill does not detail what these sectors entail, it is meant

to serve as a framework for future legislation further defining the US­Israel relationship in those

fields.

 

A slightly more robust framework for cyber­security cooperation is also delineated, with the bill

requiring the president to submit a report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of

expanding US­Israeli cooperation on cyber issues, including sharing and advancing technologies

related to the prevention of cybercrimes. The president is also required to provide Congress with

an update on the implementation of a series of objectives to assist in the defense of Israel

that were enacted in 2012.

 

The administration will also be required to include additional information in the already­mandatory

report about the potential impact on Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge from any proposed sale of

defense items that requires Congressional approval. The new, more extensive reporting would

require that for any defense item considered to be “major defense equipment” — including such

significant arms as F­16 aircraft, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and anti­armor missile

systems — the administration must provide a detailed assessment of Israel’s ability to counter the

specific risks presented if it were to be transferred to Israel’s neighbors.

Perhaps the most hotly contested section of the bill was a statement of policy on the visa waiver

program, a section that passed through a number of permutations and changes before its final

version.

 

After much debate, the Senate took up the House’s version of the statement, which reads that “it

shall be the policy of the United States to include Israel in the list of countries that participate in the

visa waiver program when Israel satisfies, and as long as Israel continues to satisfy the

requirements for inclusion in the program.”

 

The amendment, sponsored by Boxer, was the only amendment added to the bill’s text when it

was received in the Senate by unanimous consent on September 18.

Preliminary action has already begun on turning the section on increased energy cooperation into

reality. The bill’s text recognizes energy cooperation between the US and Israel as being in the

strategic interest of the United States and encourages increased collaboration between the two

countries’ academic communities and governments.

 

The bill allows for the authorization of a US­Israel Energy Center in the United States, engaging

academic institutions and the private sector to further dialogue, collaboration and academic

cooperation in energy innovation technology and technology transfer, among other things. Among

the center’s goals are to develop more robust academic cooperation in offshore energy

development, energy innovation technology and engineering, and water science.

The specific details of the center’s structure will be worked out by the US Department of Energy

and the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Water, with input from Israeli and American universities and

private sector entities.

 

 

History was made on Sunday, November 30, when for the first time in the annals of the state, official recognition was given to Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran.

The event, hosted by President Reuven Rivlin at his official residence, was the continuum of legislation that was passed by the Knesset in June of this year designating November 30 as the national day of commemoration of the plight of Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran. The date was significant in that it commemorates the day after the anniversary of the November 29, 1947 United Nations resolution on the partition of Palestine, which led to an immediate flare up of anti-Zionist action and policy among Arab states, resulting in the killing, persecution, humiliation, oppression and expulsion of Jews, the sequestration of Jewish property and a war against the nascent State of Israel.

In 1948 close to a million Jews lived in Arab lands. Some were massacred in pogroms. Most fled or were expelled between 1948 and 1967.  In 1948 there were 260,000 Jews in Morocco.  Today there are less than 3,000. In the same time frame, the Jewish population of Algeria declined from 135,000 to zero, in Tunisia from 90,000 to a thousand, in Libya from 40,000 to zero, in Egypt from 75,000 to less than one hundred, in Iraq from 125,000 to zero, in Yemen from 45,000 to approximately 200, in Syria from 27,000 to 100, and in Lebanon from 10,000 in the 1950s to less than 100.

Although various attempts were made over the years by leaders of these communities in Israel and academics stemming from these communities to secure the same kind of recognition for the suffering of Jews in Arab lands as is accorded to the Jews of Europe, nothing of major substance was done until the bill proposed by MKs Shimon Ohayon of Yisrael Beiteinu and Nissim Zeev of Shas was placed on the national agenda.

The intention behind the bill said Ohayon on Sunday night, was to ensure that the stories of what happened to Jews in and from Arab lands and Iran should be part of the school curriculum, because most Israeli children are entirely ignorant of these chapters in the diverse aspects of Jewish heritage. Just as they learn about the history and fate of the Jews of Europe, they should also learn the history of the Jews of the region, he said. He placed great significance on national recognition, saying that this would lead to international acknowledgement so that Jews who left everything they owned behind, could be compensated. There were no words to describe his excitement that this day had come said Ohayon, but he was simultaneously pained that the Tel Aviv Cinematheque had chosen at this time to show films of the Arab Nakba (catastrophe) in 1948, while overlooking documentaries and feature films about the suffering of Jews from Arab lands and Iran. He related the story of a woman who had told him that her son, a university student, knows all about Nakba, but not about the travails endured by his grandfather before he came to Israel.

Zeev, the Jerusalem born son of Iraqi parents concurred with Ohayon and emphasized how important it was for the world to know about the tragedy that befell so many hundreds of thousands of people. Of the Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran, 650,000 came to Israel, he said, and the rest went mostly to Europe and America.

But before they became refugees, they and their forebears made great contributions to Jewish culture and to the cultures and economies of their host countries, and these must be acknowledged, he said

Meir Kahlon, chairman of the joint Associations of Jews from Arab Lands and Iran, noted that the world has long been talking about Arab refugees, but has ignored Jewish refugees from Arab lands. He also reminded those present that the Holocaust was not solely a European tragedy, but had spread to this part of the world.  His mother had been killed in the Holocaust in Libya when he was only five months old.

Rivlin, who is a seventh generation Jerusalemite, does not know what it means to be expelled from one’s homeland, said Kahlon. Like Ohayon and Zeev, he questioned the lacuna in the Israeli curricula. As refugees, the Jews from Arab lands and Iran understand the plight of Palestinian refugees and will not allow their problems to be swept under the carpet said Kahlon, adding that the Palestinians must understand that this land also belongs to the Jews who yearned for it during centuries of exile.  In this context, he quoted from Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept as we remembered Zion…”

He recommended that the compensation initiative for both sides proposed by former US President Bill Clinton be adopted and that a fund be set up to compensate and rehabilitate all the Palestinians living in refugee camps and all the Jews and their heirs who had been displaced from Arab lands and Iran. “We don’t seek war with anyone. We hold out our hand in peace,” he said.

Moderator Yossi Alfi, who is known for his marathon story telling festivals in which personalities from every immigrant group in Israel have the opportunity to share their stories with live audiences, radio listeners and television viewers, declared: “We are all excited today. It is indeed a holiday for us and others celebrating elsewhere. This day in Jerusalem is an important date in the story of the exodus of Jews from Arab Lands and Iran.”

Alfi, born in Basra Iraq, came to Israel in 1949 as a 3 year old refugee without his parents. Now, at age 69, he said he still feels the weight of what was left behind.

All the speakers expressed appreciation to Minister of Pensioners Affairs Uri Orbach whose Ministry took upon itself all the arrangements for the commemoration. Orbach was not present in protest at what he interpreted as the denial of freedom of speech to singer Amir Benayoun, who had initially been scheduled to sing at the event, but who had been dropped from the program due to a racist song that he had written and posted on his Facebook. Benayoun was replaced by Boaz Sharabi and Orbach was represented by his ministry’s director general Gilad Semama, who is the son of a Moroccan mother and a Tunisian father.

November 30 signifies not only the expulsion he said, but also the right to reparations.  “It is also a day of love for Israel and for Zionism.”

Despite all that happened to them, these Jews who were expelled did not allow themselves to become dispirited, he said.  “They did not forget where they came from, but they knew where they were going.  Hardships not withstanding, they were able to maintain the heritage of a glorious past.”

Admitting that Jews from Arab lands and Iran had been subjected to a great injustice, and whose story had been pushed to the sidelines of the Zionist narrative, Rivlin commented that the designation of November 30 as a national day came too late and on too small a scale to impact on public consciousness, but declared that it was nevertheless important to correct this injustice “which should not be underestimated.”

The healing process, he said, begins with acknowledging the mistakes that were made, and for this reason he was proud as president of the state to host the inaugural November 30 commemoration. When his own ancestors came to the country from Lithuania in 1809, there were already immigrants from Yemen living here as well as Spanish families with ancient traditions. After the creation of the state when the refugees began arriving, their suffering was not taken into account and they were sent far away from the corridors of power to peripheral communities such as  Dimona, Afikim, Beit She'an and Hatzor Haglilit where they developed cities out of nothing  to be protective buffer zones for Israel’s borders, said Rivlin. It took a long time before these immigrants could give voice to their frustrations. Rivlin cited a list of writers and entertainment artists who paved the way for others to make their stories and their feelings known.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a statement noting that November 30 was not a random date, but had been chosen for its historic significance.

‘All citizens should enjoy equal rights,’ says State Department

spokesman; ADL calls planned legislation ‘unnecessary’

 

BY LAZAR BERMAN November 24, 2014, 11:16 pm | The Times of Israel| 

 

The State Department said Monday that the US expects that Israel “continue [its]

commitment to democratic principles,” as debate over Israel’s controversial nation­state

bill continued.

In a Monday press briefing, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said, “The United States

position, which is unchanged, has been clear for years – and the President and the Secretary [of

State] have also reiterated it – is that Israel is a Jewish and democratic state in which all citizens

should enjoy equal rights.”

The nation­state bill, which has seen multiple drafts but awaits the drafting of a final government

 

proposal expected to be presented in the Knesset next week, would enshrine in a constitutional

Basic Law Israel’s identity as a Jewish state.

Meanwhile, the Anti­Defamation League’s Abraham Foxman said in a statement that the debate

over Israel’s Jewish and democratic character “undermined the settled nature of this essential

element of Israel’s national identity. Attempts to further codify this concept in the Basic Laws are

well­meaning but unnecessary. It is troubling that some have sought to use the political process to

promote an extreme agenda which could be viewed as an attempt to subsume Israel’s democratic

character in favor of its Jewish one.”

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday afternoon that he was determined to pass the

bill, even if he does not have the backing of his entire cabinet.

“It is important to exhaust the channels of dialogue, and I am ready to give this dialogue a chance,”

he said during the weekly Likud faction meeting. “I am determined to pass this bill with or without

agreement. It is very important for securing the future of the nation of Israel, in the Land of Israel,

in the State of Israel.

 

“The principles that I am advancing give expression to Israel being the national Jewish state, and

only that, while protecting rights.”

Asked if elections are in the offing after coalition parties Hatnua and Yesh Atid expressed

opposition to the proposal this week, Netanyahu said laconically, “Time will tell.”

Coalition leaders decided on Monday to delay a preliminary vote on two drafts of the proposed bill

by one week, as some ministers vowed to continue to oppose the measure even if it meant their

jobs — and the future of the coalition.

 

Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov initially proposed the week­long delay, which was backed by the

Jewish Home party at a meeting of coalition leaders in the Knesset Monday.

The decision came just hours after Justice Minister Tzipi Livni reiterated her intention to fight the

bill, and challenged the prime minister to decide whether he was willing to break up his coalition

over the measure.

 

“This bill will not pass because we are not ready and I am not prepared to be a fig leaf for

something so problematic,” Livni told the Ynet news site on Monday. “And if it goes [to a vote, as

had originally been scheduled] on Wednesday, I will not let it pass and will not compromise

regarding its wording.

 

“The prime minister will have to decide whether he will fire ministers in his government and topple

his coalition over their opposition to a law that goes against a Jewish and democratic Israel,” she

said. “If he wants elections over this, no problem.”

The bills originally slated for the Wednesday vote will not become law, as the cabinet voted on

Sunday to incorporate them into a future government bill after they pass the preliminary vote. In

essence, the different versions were slated to receive the Knesset’s initial nod, and then be

replaced by an agreed­upon government version drafted by the prime minister and Attorney

General Yehudah Weinstein.

 

On Sunday, cabinet ministers approved a two­page document containing 14 principles that a

future government bill will be based on. While guaranteeing Israel’s democratic character, the bill,

a softened version of the other proposals, would reserve the right of national self­determination

within the boundaries of the state of Israel to Jews alone.

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he would continue to advance the "Jewish state bill" while maintaining the rights of all Israel's citizens.

The vote has caused a crisis within Netanyahu's coalition, with Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni vowing not to vote in favor of the bill despite the cabinet's approval of the measure on Sunday.

Earlier on Monday, a Knesset vote on the bill, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, was delayed until next week.

Speaking at a Likud faction meeting, the prime minister said that it was important to advance the bill, which aims to cement the Jewish nature of the state in law, even if he does not have the agreement of everyone in his coalition.

He added, however, that he would enable there to be dialogue in order to reach a compromise on the bill.

During the heated discussion of the bill in the cabinet on Sunday, Livni said to Netanyahu: “The elephant in the room is that you want us” – Hatnua and Yesh Atid – “to vote against this so you can fire us.”

If a minister votes against government policy, it is akin to him or her resigning, and the prime minister can fire him or her.

The three proposed versions of Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People – which were authorized by the coalition with 15 in favor and six opposed – declare Israel to be the site of self-determination exclusively for the Jewish people. Netanyahu’s version avoids some of the more controversial sections of the two similar private member bills, such as the status of Arabic or settlement construction.

“Jewish state bill” drafts by coalition chairman Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) and by MKs Yariv Levin (Likud), Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi) and Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beytenu) had been scheduled to go to a preliminary vote in the Knesset Wednesday, until the agreement was reached to delay the vote. Then, the bills will go to a Knesset committee, where they will be combined in accordance with Netanyahu’s draft.

All three versions of the bill reinforce “Hatikva” as the national anthem, the state symbols, use of the Hebrew calendar and the Law of Return, and call to grant freedom of access to holy places and protect them.

 

Security Council finally speaks up on synagogue terror; Prosor says it ‘breaks silence on Palestinian violence only after Israelis slaughtered’

 

UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council condemned “in the strongest terms” the “despicable” terrorist attack at a Jerusalem synagogue that killed four worshipers and a police officer Tuesday.

 

 

“The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the families of all those who have died and sympathy to those injured and to the Israeli people,” the statement read.

 

 

Wednesday’s statement also urged all sides to work immediately to restore calm as tensions rise between Israelis and Palestinians.

 

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor said in response that it was “disappointing that only once Israelis are slaughtered at prayer, the Security Council remembers to break its silence on Palestinian violence.”

 

“Now, after the international community has understood that the Palestinians have crossed all red lines, and in order to stop the bloodshed, [the world] must stop awarding Palestinians prizes and stop supporting unilateral actions [like recognizing a Palestinian state],” Prosor said.

 

 

Palestinian terrorists Uday and Ghassa Abu Jamal, cousins from East Jerusalem’s Jabel Mukaber neighborhood, on Tuesday burst into a crowded synagogue in Har Nof during morning prayers with meat cleavers and gunfire, killing four people and critically wounding a police officer who later died of his injuries, in a brutal attack that lasted several minutes.

 

Earlier Wednesday, thousands including Israeli President Reuven Rivlin attended the funeral of Zidan Saif, the Druze policeman who succumbed to his wounds late Tuesday night after a gunfight with the two terrorists at the synagogue. Saif, 30, was the first officer on the scene of the attack in Har Nof.

 

On Tuesday, hours after the deadly attack, Rabbis Aryeh Kupinsky, 40, Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, and Kalman Levine, 50, were laid to rest. The three were buried at the Har Hamenuhot cemetery in a joint funeral.

 

Rabbi Moshe Twersky, 59, was buried earlier in the day.

 

Last week, Prosor issued a scathing critique Security Council’s silence following multiple terror attacks against Israelis over the past month.

 

“Every day Israelis are coming under attack. Every day the crowds of violent Palestinian rioters grow larger,” Prosor wrote in a letter to the UN body. “And yet, this institution has not uttered a word to denounce attacks against Israelis. Ignoring incitement and terrorism is similar to supporting terrorism.”

 

The letter came last Monday, November 10, 2014, on the same day that two people died in separate terror attacks. IDF soldier Almog Shiloni, 20, of Modi’in died of his wounds following hours of attempts to stabilize his condition after a Palestinian terrorist stabbed him in Tel Aviv. Hours later, Dalia Lemkus, 26, was killed in a separate terror attack near the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut. She was run over and then stabbed in the neck and died at the scene.