FW: A7News: IDF: Iran May Go Nuclear in 6 Months; NATO: Go It Alone
Sr_E...@newsfromisrael.org
Article 1 says Iran would go nuclear in 6 months. I am sorry, to say that is in my view, foolish. I would most gladly bet any amount of money that Iran, as well as most arab nations, has had nuclear weapons for years. I would bet money that is why America dared not fight islamic terrorists, they are afraid. And I would bet money that is why America has been on the side of terrorists since Bush, the male who is not anywhere close to a strong enough man to run a nation, ‘took’ office.
And guess what people? I would win that bet.
Gabriel
======
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25 Tammuz 5767 / Wednesday, Jul. 11 '07
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Headlines
- IDF: Iran May Go Nuclear in 6 Months; NATO: Go It Alone
- Photo Essay: Summer of Record N. American Aliyah Begins
- Likud Central C'tee Approves Aug. 14 Netanyahu-Feiglin Primaries
- Knesset Committee Holds Special Session on Gaza-Samaria Evictees
- Smack Resounds in the Knesset
- Women in Green: Outlaw "Peace Now"
- Blood-Donating Family Continues Giving
- 'For Sale: Arabs Only' in J'lem Neighborhood
- Hareidi Religious Jew Defends Girls, Beaten by Jerusalem Arabs
1. IDF: Iran May Go Nuclear in 6 Months; NATO: Go It Alone
by Ezra HaLevi
According to the IDF, Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within six months. NATO says Israel must ‘go it alone’ according to Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The IDF Military Intelligence (MI) assessment was reported Tuesday to the Knesset and included a concrete assessment determining that Iran could cross the technological threshold required to produce nuclear weapons in the next 6-12 months and possess an operational warhead by the middle of 2009.
The assessment is at odds with US estimates that put the date between 2010 and 2013. Both agree, however, that military strikes could set back the technology for years.
IDF MI also is of the opinion that sanctions against Iran have not weakened the regime, because huge oil reserves still proivide all the money necessary to neutralize any pressure created by the international community.
The assessment also revealed that Israel’s withdrawals – from Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005 – have added precedents and solidified belief throughout the Middle East that armed struggle can achieve the destruction of Israel within this generation.
Lieberman: NATO Says ‘Go It
Alone’
Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu party), whose
government portfolio was created specifically to deal with the Iranian threat,
met with NATO’s Assistant Secretary-General Alexandro Minoto Rizo and the
European Union’s representative Franco Partini earlier this week.
Lieberman reported that NATO’s senior officials said Israel should not assume that the international
community will stop Iran
just to help Israel.
“Israel should prevent the threat, herself, and should not expect support of other countries,” Lieberman reported as the conclusions reached at the meeting. “NATO is stuck in Afghanistan and European and American troops are wallowing in the Iraqi quagmire, which is something that is going to prevent the leaders of countries in Europe and America from deciding on the use of force to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities,” he said.
"Winds of Chamberlain are blowing in Europe," Lieberman told Army Radio, referring to that leader’s conciliatory policy toward the Nazis in WWII. "When I hear from a respected prime minister like [Italian Prime Minister] Romano Prodi that Israel should agree to a peaceful Iranian nuclear program, it seems like something surreal. The political situation is such that they are trying to turn this into our problem alone."
Lieberman said that although Europe or the US could not be relied upon to attack Iran on Israel’s behalf, they would support Israel’s actions. “If we start military operations against Iran alone, then Europe and the US will support us,” he said.
Another Lieberman in Favor of Iran Strike
US Senator Joseph Lieberman has been publicly calling for US strikes on Iran.
He repeated the call last week, saying the Islamic Republic “has declared war on the US” and is waging a "proxy war" against coalition forces in Iraq.
The Connecticut Senator and former Vice-Presidential candidate said intelligence reports proved Iran was behind much of the terrorism in Iraq and must be confronted directly. “Although no one desires a conflict with Iran, the fact is that the Iranian government by its actions has declared war on us."
2. Photo Essay: Summer of Record N. American Aliyah Begins
by Ezra HaLevi
The first of the summer's seven chartered flights of Western olim (immigrants to Israel) arrived Tuesday morning at Ben Gurion Airport. [video:122898]
The sight greeting the new arrivals at the old Terminal 1 arrivals hall
"Aliyah Revolution - It Has Begun!"
"Welcome Home Bubbie and Zayde"
Bubbie and Zayde (Grandma & Grandpa) step off the plane
"It's never too late to come home" reads Bubbie's T-Shirt
Grandmother and grandchild reuinited in the Holy Land
“I feel like I won the lottery!” exclaimed an ecstatic Miri Gantsher as she made her way with her husband David and six kids through the gauntlet of cheering IDF soldiers and well-wishers welcoming her to Israel. Gantsher has left Monsey, NY. A friend met her on the tarmac with a warm embrace and a bouquet.
Miri Gantsher is greeted upon arrival with a warm embrace
Yitzchak and Rivkah Gonzales have looked forward to the move for seven years – during which they moved from Monterrey, Mexico to Houston, Texas. Together with their three children, they plan to live in a Jerusalem absorption center in East Talpiot.
The Gonzales family - from Mexico to Texas to Jerusalem
Tuesday’s flight had 220 immigrants - 58 of them singles, 78 children, three community rabbis and individuals hailing from 19 states. Eleven dogs and three cats were also aboard the flight, accompanying their owners on Aliyah.
Nefesh B’Nefesh is helping about 3,500 Jews “return home,” as they term it, this year alone. The organization, which assists in easing the obstacles facing North American Jews wishing to move to Israel, sees the numbers continuing to rise. “We have 18,000 names of people who want to make Aliyah in the next 24 months,” Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder Tony Gelbart said. “Israel was founded and built upon Aliyah. Now is the time for the Jews of America, Canada, France and the UK to rise to the occasion and give a final answer to the questions surrounding the Jewish future.”
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was on hand to welcome the new arrivals. She reminded them that life in Israel would not be easy, but told them that their arrival “gives strength to all Israelis.”
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni speaking at the welcome ceremony
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, the Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder who conceived of the idea of promoting mass Aliyah through small grants and logistical assistance, invoked last week’s Torah portion, in which Moses is instructed by G-d to count all the nation of Israel prior to entering the Land of Israel. “The reason for this was to emphasize the importance of every Jew entering the Land of Israel. So too, although we are setting records, with more than 11,000 olim arriving in the past five years since we started Nefesh B’Nefesh – each and every oleh is not just a number – but a unique name of a Jew coming home to Israel.”
One young man, Dovy Goldman, said he was making Aliyah not only in his own name, but in that of his grandfather, who fought in the 1948 War of Independence. He wore his grandfather’s uniform jacket as he disembarked from the plane, holding a large sign explaining that “my inheritance of the land is in his merit.”
"Our inheritance is in your merit - We are coming back for what you fought for"
Rabbi Fass told Israel National Radio’s Yishai Fleisher of the intense experience each flight of new olim presents: “The moment you get to the airport and see the faces of courage and faith and optimism, it is very emotional. Seeing the diversity on the plane – you rarely find a group of people so diverse bonding together for a cause. Israel pulls the Jews together.”
Channel 10 interviews Rabbi Yehoshua Fass
Israel National Radio's Yishai Fleisher puts on his Kumah.org shirt and greets the new arrivals with shofar blasts
Rabbi Fass said he believes the continued rise in North American Aliyah will soon turn into a wave of mass Aliyah. There is a tipping point - and once we hit that, there will be a real wave. We all realize we are at the cusp of that tipping point. When our office has 18,000 people interested in making Aliyah, we know we are close to it. And there is a natural ripple effect, as success breeds success. What we are working on is how to artificially speed that up.”
For tens of more pictures, see the full photo essay here.
3. Likud Central C'tee Approves Aug. 14 Netanyahu-Feiglin Primaries
by Ezra HaLevi
The Likud Central Committee convened Tuesday evening and approved party chairman Binyamin Netanyahu's proposal to move internal primaries up to August 14.
With MK Silvan Shalom having already pulled out of the race, Netanyahu will face Moshe Feiglin, who heads the Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction within the Likud.
Feiglin addressed the Central Committee, saying that only someone with faith could lead the nation to victory over Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “Olmert had better guns and a better army, but Nasrallah had faith and that is why he beat Olmert,” Feiglin said.
Netanyahu
inserted several unannounced speakers between Feiglin and himself “so
that he would not have to respond to Feiglin’s claims or give the
impression that he sees Feiglin as a serious challenger,” according to
state-run Reshet Bet radio’s political correspondent.
"We believe that we can take the country out of the mud,” Netanyahu
boomed. “We can take a different road."
MK Shalom claimed he dropped out of the race because Netanyahu refused to
postpone primaries to offer enough time to display an agenda and run a
campaign. Netanyahu’s camp said Shalom, who was trounced by Netanyahu in
the previous primaries, knew he would not win, and was scared he might not even
take second place, but rather lose to Moshe Feiglin. According to the Jerusalem
Post, a recent Brain Base poll commissioned by Netanyahu reported that to
be likely.
The Central Committee approved August 14 – the date preferred by both Netanyahu and Feiglin. A run-off, if needed, would be held on August 21 - though MK Reuven Rivlin told Army Radio Wednesday that there would not be a third candidate in the upcoming race. MK Shalom did not attend the assembly, and warned Netanyahu that he "would not leave the race against Feiglin strengthened."
The Jewish Leadership faction plans to launch a campaign to visit every member of the Likud Party in order to convince them to vote for Feiglin. The idea is modeled after the efforts extended prior to the Likud referendum on Ariel Sharon's Disengagement plan, which rejected the Disengagement; Sharon subsequently ignored the results of the referendum which he himself called.
Netanyahu
Attacks Barak
At a ceremony marking a year since the Second Lebanon War, following the Likud
Central Committee meeting, Netanyahu referred to former Prime Minister Ehud
Barak, now elected to head the Labor Party once again, as “amateur,
reckless and an adventurer.”
Netanyahu went on to blame the war on Barak, who led a retreat from Lebanon in 2000. “Barak's government brought Nasrallah to the border,” he said. “The withdrawal from Lebanon was an irresponsible retreat.”
Looking
For a New Leader
Maariv political correspondent Ben Caspit, guest-hosting Army
Radio's "What's Burning" morning talk-show, interviewed Feiglin
Tuesday. "We are back to the 90s - with Netanyahu, Barak and Olmert
competing for the top spot," Caspit said. "Israeli politics is stuck
with the same ideas, same conceptions and same people. We are about to talk
with someone who says he is a fresh change to the old cast of characters."
Excerpts from the interview:
Feiglin: "The question is not about primaries but about who will lead this nation... I am running to win and not to make a show or increase influence."
Caspit: "So Netanyahu is just another leftist?"
Feiglin: "Netanyahu is a very worthy person, and he should certainly be active in the government, but there is no choice - the leadership position must be a man of faith. We are talking about a basic element of leadership; we have taken G-d out of the equation."
Caspit: "What ministerial position would Netanyahu receive in your government?"
Feiglin: "Netanyahu was a good Finance Minister and Foreign Minister and perhaps one of those positions would be granted to him."
Caspit: "But the Likud is not a religious party - for that there are religious parties. You are talking about G-d and faith, which is nice, but you are talking about convincing the party to become religious, to declare Jewish Law its platform and to embark on a war of independence or destruction or I don't know what against the goyim who threaten our destruction. This isn't the situation. You are a bit detached..."
Feiglin: "Ben, you are mistaken. The Likud is not a secular party, but a national party. A majority of its members are traditional -"
Caspit: "But you are making it religious! The Likud believes in Democracy!"
Feiglin: "I am not talking about a religious party - I am against the existence of religious parties. I am talking about restoring national pride, about why we returned to this land in the first place. What are we if we are not Jews? Why are you pretending that we are calling for a state based on Jewish Law?"
Caspit: "Democracy overrules Jewish Law and the rabbis?"
Feiglin: "It is the nation that wants a more traditional society, and we who are the bigger democrats. What happened here? A tiny minority took control of the courts and took control of the press, a group that doesn't believe in anything Jewish and dragged the society to the fringes of the left. When a normal person comes along - a simple, proud Jew who wants to represent what the nation wants and is proud of - he is labeled 'right-wing extremist.' We will lead this country, with G-d's help, very soon."
4. Knesset Committee Holds Special Session on Gaza-Samaria Evictees
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
The Knesset State Control Committee held a special session Tuesday
on the situation of those families uprooted from Gaza
and northern Samaria
in the context of the Ariel Sharon-era Disengagement. The session marked
two years since the state
The committee members demanded answers from the
government offices responsible.
carried out the unilateral withdrawals.
The committee members demanded answers from the government offices responsible for the displaced families, noting the ineffectiveness, failures, delays and poor results of the treatment the families have received thus far.
Committee Chairman Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party-National Union) opened the meeting by saying that the purpose of the special session was not merely to expose the failings in relation to the uprooted families, but to discuss how to remedy the situation.
Members of the committee posed serious questions to the representatives of the various government ministries who attended the meeting. Among the issues raised was the delay in establishing permanent communities for the uprooted families and the rehabilitation of the families until those homes are built.
Ze'ev Elkin (Kadima), associate chairman of the Gush Katif Evictees Lobby in the Knesset, addressed the Director of the Prime Minister's Office, Raanan Dinur, with the demand to know why the state has so completely failed in establishing the displaced residents' new communities. "According to the statistics presented to us," Elkin said, "it appears that the construction of the permanent communities for 500 families will only begin in another year, in July 2008, and will continue for at least two years. That means that from the time of the Disengagement until the families move into their permanent communities, at least five years will have passed. Why does it have to take so long to solve the permanent housing issue, and why has the state failed to estimate correctly how long it would take to build the houses?"
In his report to the committee, Dinur explained that there were many roadblocks in implementing housing decisions, not the least of which is difficulty in receiving the permits to use the intended lands for residential development due to objections by environmental activist organizations. In another case, the area to be used for housing is currently part of a military firing range, he noted.
Responding to Dinur's explanations, MK Amira Dotan (Kadima) asked, "If these problems have been known for some time, why are there still no alternative solutions?"
As Dinur presented figures regarding the compensation offered to the former residents of Gush Katif and northern Samaria, and their various housing and employment situations, MK Dotan interrupted him and called attention to the evictees' representatives at the committee meeting. Judging by their body language Dinur read the statistics, Dotan exclaimed, there is a marked difference between the Prime Minister's Office litany of figures and the facts on the ground.
In his statement, a representative of the former residents of Gush Katif and northern Samaria, Chairman of the Settlers Union, Lior Khalfa, thanked the Knesset for holding the special session and expressed the hope that it would change the pace with which the state addresses issues of the evictees' welfare. He also emphasized the seriousness of the evictees' sense of uncertainty about their own personal and immediate future.
"The treatment of the expelled people was thoughtless and disorganized, as finds expression in every area. As of today, we must pause and engage in a joint reconsideration," said Khalfa. "The situation on the ground cannot be argued with. The temporary residential areas have not changed and the expectation is that [the evictees] will remain in them for a yet longer period of time. Most of the government offices are unprepared for this situation. There was no thought given to the future beyond 2007; therefore, an inter-ministerial reorganization is needed for an extended stay in the temporary locations," Khalfa recommended.
Micha Lindenstrauss, the State Comptroller, told the Knesset
committee that his office warned the government early on about the state of
extreme distress in which the displaced families have been living. According to
Lindenstrauss, many of the issues the State Comptroller's Office raised have
not been addressed: "To my great sorrow, they did not hear what we said
clearly and unequivocally in our Comptroller's reports on this
matter."
The State Comptroller's Office will soon begin
carrying out ongoing supervision of the implementation of its recommendations.
In order to encourage the government into action regarding the evictees' well-being, Lindestrauss announced, the State Comptroller's Office will soon begin carrying out ongoing supervision of the implementation of its recommendations from past Comptroller's reports. "A large team in our office will be assigned to this matter and will cause things to move faster," Lindenstrauss said.
Turning to the uprooted families directly, the Comptroller said, "Your distress is not in dispute."
Emphasizing the issue of implementation, MK Dotan said that there were many decisions made regarding proper treatment of the displaced families, but they have not been put into action. "We don't want to censure, but we do want to receive an orderly schedule of activity."
Among other questions raised by the MKs during the special session were: Why are 70% of the farmers of Gush Katif still without land to work? Why are there still no solutions for those who were farmers and small business owners, despite the state's written commitments to supply those solutions? How will the state compensate the farmers for the lost seasons and lost markets as a result of the delay in providing them with alternate farmland? How does the state intend to handle the needs of the communities created as a result of the extended stay in what were to be temporary accommodations? Direct answers, however, were in short supply.
5. Smack Resounds in the Knesset
by Hillel Fendel
The Knesset was in an uproar Tuesday following a hard slap delivered by a Justice Ministry attorney to a hareidi-religious MK after a session on special allocations. Rabbis comment on intra-religious implications (see below).
Attorney Amnon De-Hartuch, head of the special allocations division in the Attorney General's office, smacked MK Yaakov Cohen (United Torah Judaism) in the face Tuesday morning. The incident climaxed great tensions between the lawyer and the hareidi representatives over his frequent refusals to approve certain allocations to religious schools. Some said that his religious-Zionist lifestyle and halakhic [Jewish legal] arguments also contributed to the tensions.
The argument heated up when De-Hartuch called Cohen an "animal," and Cohen retorted by saying, "You're worse than the Germans; they wanted to destroy the body, while you want to destroy our soul." De-Hartuch said, "I'll smack you," the MK then said, "I'm waiting for that," and De-Hartuch delivered.
MK Cohen fell to the floor, and was treated by medics on the site for bruises and high blood pressure. He was then taken to the hospital, upon the recommendation of the Knesset's doctor, where his condition was said to be stable.
The Knesset secretariat later decided to ban De-Hartuch from the Knesset forever. Later Tuesday evening, De-Hartuch apologized, but said that his father's family was largely wiped out in the Holocaust and that he lost control after MK Cohen compared him to Germans.
MK Cohen's son Yehuda told Army Radio, "Here is a chance for the justice system in Israel to prove that it does not have a double standard. I remember a few years ago when someone threw tea on MK Yael Dayan of Labor - and received three years in prison!"
Interestingly, opinion on the incident was divided within the religious-Zionist National Union party. MK Uri Ariel immediately called for De-Hartuch's dismissal, while party colleague MK Tzvi Hendel came to the lawyer's defense. "No one has the right to use violence," Hendel said, "but it must be said: De-Hartuch is a good person."
Arutz-7 asked Rabbi Eliyahu Shlesinger - a long-time hareidi rabbi
of the largely religious-Zionist community in Gilo - if he feels that the altercation
is representative of "bad blood" between the two publics, and if so,
what can be done about it.
Rabbi Shlesinger was very conciliatory: "It's clear that there are many
people in each sector who are very close to the other... Unfortunately, on the
fringes of both sectors there are extremists who distance themselves more and
more from the other, and perhaps there is even some hatred. For instance,
there was a survey that showed that some religious-Zionists feel closer to the
secular than to the hareidi-religious sector, and would even choose secular
schools for their children over hareidi schools if they had to... We also know
that there are some in the hareidi camp who are very critical of the others and
are not at all willing to have any dialogue with them. But from my experience
in Gilo, I see such a beautiful community here, and I can say that those on the
fringe do not represent the mainstream..."
"There are differences, of course," Rabbi Shlesinger said, "such
as on Independence Day and the like; it's a question of the precise
relationship to the State of Israel compared with the People of Israel.
But aside from that, there are so many similarities between the two groups in
observance and Torah study and commitment. We see many of the religious-Zionist
youths turning to Hasidism, etc. ... There are so many similarities, that there
is no need to look for the differences."
Rabbi Yedidya Cohen, the rabbi of a religious-Zionist synagogue in
De-Hartuch's neighborhood of Ramot, said, "There are some tensions, but
they are certainly not felt day-to-day. We are at home praying in each other's
synagogues, and we do so with mutual respect. We must remember that we have a
lot in common. I'm not even sure that the incident in question occurred
on a religious background, but merely because Amnon De-Hartuch is so very
straight and by-the-book; he said he is a child of Holocaust survivors, and
that's why he was so incensed at what the MK said..."
Some residents of Ramot implied that the religious-Zionist public is slightly
wary of an increase in the hareidi population in their midst. Rabbi
Cohen's reaction: "There is no reason to be apprehensive. If we, as
a public, take pride in our philosophy and outlook, and organize activities and
the like, our community will thrive and grow."
6. Women in Green: Outlaw "Peace Now"
by Hillel Fendel
Motorists driving along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway
Tuesday morning were surprised and dismayed to see Syrian flags flying
alongside Israeli flags as they made the ascent to the capital.
The red, white and black Syrian flag was placed on poles between the Shaar
HaGai intersection and the government complex by extreme left-wing Peace Now
members. By hanging the colors of the enemy state, Peace Now wished to
draw attention to its desire for government talks with Syria.
Nadia Matar, co-founder of the grassroots Women in Green organization, said
that Peace Now has thus shown its true face. "I call upon the
authorities to gather the Peace Now leadership," Matar said, "put
them on buses, and send them to Syria,
where they belong and where they will be welcomed happily."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke with an Arabic newspaper on Monday and made a
direct plea to Syrian President Bashar Assad to agree to direct, unmediated
peace talks with Israel.
"I turn to you, Mr. Assad, and call upon you to engage in direct peace
negotiations - but you prefer American mediation," Olmert said.
Menachem Begin tendered a similar invitation to Anwar
Sadat - who wound up receiving the entire Sinai desert in less than five
years.
In 1977, then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin tendered a similar, though less
biting, invitation to then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat - who took up the
gauntlet and wound up receiving the entire Sinai desert within less than five
years.
Hevron activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir filed a complaint with the
police against Peace Now. They similarly claimed that as Syria is an
enemy state, it is illegal to unfurl the country's flag in public.
Nadia Matar said that Peace Now is actually calling not for peace talks but for
a surrender to Syrian demands to immediately give up the Golan
Heights. "I call upon the Attorney General to view this
as an act of treachery and betrayal," she said. "Those who act to
give up Israeli territory to the enemy is, by law, a traitor."
Israel took control of the Golan Heights in the Six Day War of 1967, after the
Syrians used the area for years to shell Israeli kibbutzim below. Since then,
the Syrian border has always been Israel's quietest. In 1981, Israel annexed
the Golan.
In early 1999, the Knesset voted that no part of the Golan or Jerusalem may be transferred to a foreign
power without an absolute majority of 61 Knesset Members and a popular
referendum in accordance with a to-be-legislated Referendum Law. In May of this
year, the Knesset voted, in a preliminary reading, to require the referendum
even before such a Referendum Law is legislated.
"Israelis must realize that Peace Now is collaborating with the
enemy," Matar said "and this organization must be outlawed. It
is ridiculous that the Kach movement [originally founded by the late Rabbi Meir
Kahane - ed.], which calls for love of Israel, is outlawed, while those
who collaborate with the Palestinians and inform on Jews are legal."
Peace Now is dedicated to destroying the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria [Yesha], and often seeks out Arabs who will claim that Jewish towns are built on their land. The PA news agency Ma'an recently thanked Peace Now for publishing a report alleging that 40% of Yesha communities are built on private Arab land. The Yesha Council published a factual rebuttal of the report, but this did not stop Ma'an from writing, "This is now a 'ready-to-go' case for the International Court... Now that Peace Now has given this gift to the land-owners, we must thank this organization..."
7. Blood-Donating Family Continues Giving
by Hillel Fendel
A New York family that broke the record last year for most blood donations - 47 pints - returned again this week and gave another 36. Giving blood is on the itineraries of increasingly more tourist groups to Israel.
The Mashadi family, visiting from New York last summer, took a day off from its touring to donate no fewer than 47 pints of blood. Family members said they were happy to "help save lives in Israel," and hoped other families will break their record.
Little did they realize how important their efforts would turn out to be; the Second Lebanon War broke out just three days later.
When the Mashadi family arrived last year, they asked American Friends
of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) to open a special blood donation station in the
Herods Vitalis Spa Hotel in Eilat, where they were staying, to facilitate the
one-family blood drive. A mobile blood bank from Be'er Sheva was sent
down south, together with special beds, and for several hours, the hotel's
conference room took on the look of a hospital wing. No fewer than 47
uncles, aunts, and family members of all ages (above age 18) took part in the
unforgettable event.
The Mashadi family moved from Iran
to the United States several
years ago, and most of the adult members were born and raised in Iran.
"We are proud to hold the record for one-family blood donations,"
said Danny Namdar, "but we also hope that others will try to break this
record. We want Israel
to profit from American tourists' blood donations."
AFMDA has organized or helped out in similar family and tour-group blood drives
in the past, but no one had ever reached the 47 mark before - or since.
Jonathan Feldstein, AFMDA's representative in Israel, praised the family for "raising the bar of donations, setting new standards in helping others and serving as an example for others." He said that over the past year or more, he has been organizing such groups, and the response has been impressive. "Just this week, we had a 45-member group from the Princeton Jewish Center in New Jersey, which gave 12 units of blood. This is an impressive number, considering that many of them were children, underweight, taking medicine, and the like... Yeshivat Aish HaTorah has already said it wants to arrange four such groups in the coming weeks."
Tour organizers who wish to arrange a blood drive with Feldstein can contact him at +972-57-761-4220, or by email at israel...@afmda.org.
Magen David Adom is Israel's "second line of defense," promotional literature states, providing all the emergency medical services in times of war and peace. Founded in 1930 as a one-room emergency service in Tel Aviv, it grew slowly until 1936, when it expanded to become a national organization. In 1950, the Knesset ratified the Magen David Adom Law, charging the MDA with the following responsibilities:
- to provide supplementary medical services to the Army Medical Corps in times of war
- to provide civilian support, medical and first aid services in emergency situations
- to maintain a blood bank for civilian use
The head of Magen David Adom's blood services, Prof. Eilat Shinar,
informed Arutz-7 that it is important to publicize the Blood Bank's general
need for blood donations during the summer. "This is a time when blood
donations generally decrease, yet the need remains the same," she
said.
The need for blood in Israel
is between 1,000 and 1,200 pints each day, and several days of reserves are
generally desired. At present, some 650 pints of Type-O blood - the most
important type, as it can be used in times of emergency even for Type A, B, and
AB patients - are available. Prof. Shinar said this is just barely
acceptable; "the optimal situation would be if we had about 800."
8. 'For Sale: Arabs Only' in J'lem Neighborhood
by Ezra HaLevi
Arabs living in Jerusalem's Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood will only sell their homes to other Arabs, going so far as placing signs in the post-'67 Jewish neighborhood - named after Ze'ev Jabotinsky.
One sign, on a building at 15 Shlomo Street, reads: "For Sale/Rent to Arabs Only." Next door, at 17 Shlomo Street, lives the family of Sasson Nuriel, who was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists in September, 2005.
Sign on house on Shlomo Street in Pisgat Ze'ev: "For
Sale/Rent to Arabs Only"
(Photo: Aryeh King)
Contacted by Arutz-7, the home's owner at first denied speaking or understanding Hebrew or English, though eventually admitted, in fluent Hebrew, that he had placed the sign. "In the State of Israel, Arabs and Jews live equally. We want to be equals and we can therefore sell the house to whoever we want," he said. He declined to give his name, but insisted that his right to sell to "Arabs only" would even stand up in court.
Aryeh King, who conducted a survey of Arabs moving into Jerusalem's Jewish neighborhoods due to the construction of the Partition Wall says at least 120 Arab families had moved into Pisgat Ze'ev as of December, 2006.
French Hill as well has become the new home of hundreds of Arabs from Ramallah-area villages such as A-Ram and Hizme. "They lived there because it was cheaper and they could travel freely through checkpoints with Israeli ID cards," King says. "Now they are concerned that the wall will keep them from entering Jerusalem, so there is a migration."
Families from Abu Dis and the Bethlehem area have been settling in the Armon HaNetziv neighborhood as well, King says.
In 2000, Israel's Supreme Court required the Jewish town of Katzir, in the Galilee, to allow Muslim Arabs to move in and build their homes there, ruling that limiting who can purchase land there would constitute discrimination.
9. Hareidi Religious Jew Defends Girls, Beaten by Jerusalem Arabs
by Hana Levi Julian
Three Israeli Arab residents of eastern Jerusalem were arrested Tuesday after attacking a hareidi religious Jew on the local number 1 Egged bus line.
The incident occurred as the bus was driving on Malkhei Yisrael Street. The Arabs, all in their mid-20’s, started harassing several Jewish girls on the bus and continued the behavior despite being warned by the Jewish man to stop bothering them.
Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld told Israel National News that the situation quickly deteriorated into an argument, which then became a fist fight after the Arabs attacked the Jew.
Police were called to the scene, with a special motorbike patrol unit arriving within minutes. The three Arab men were arrested on site and were taken to the Tzion police station for questioning.
Their victim sustained moderate wounds and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
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