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| Week ending Saturday, November 05, 2005 |
03 Cheshvan, 5766 |
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Gaza Strikes Continue:
The Israeli Military launched more attacks on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip last weekend. An IDF representative said most of the bombs and missiles hit open fields used by "Palestinians" to fire rockets at Israel. A member of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades was killed when a missile hit his car. The current assault initiative is in response to a suicide bombing the previous Wednesday that killed five Israelis. The primary target is the Islamic Jihad group, which claimed responsibility for the bombing. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said the war on the Islamic Jihad will continue until their capabilities are destroyed. "We are carrying out a broad operation against terrorism, a broad operation against the Islamic Jihad infrastructure, in light of Islamic Jihad's intention to continue with suicide bombings," Mofaz told reporters. "We are making major efforts to prevent these attacks ... and this activity will continue until we can say that the Islamic Jihad infrastructure can no longer carry out suicide bombings."
Terrorists Killed in Raid:
On Sunday evening Israeli forces entered the town of Kabatiyah in Samaria searching for the Islamic Jihad terrorists who carried out the attack at the public market in Hadera. IDF Security Forces called for them to come out of their houses and surrender, but then shot after the terrorists opened fire.
Two Islamic Jihad gunmen were killed as they tried to escape. An Israeli Defense Force representative said they were the organizers of last week's suicide bombing. In a separate incident in the same town, IDF troops shot and killed a "Palestinian" gunman planting a bomb. Of course, the "Palestinian" Authority accused Israel of destroying attempts to broker a cease-fire.
Sharon Demands War on Terrorism:
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon opened the Knesset winter session with a demand that the Palestinian Authority wage "a real war" on terrorism. He said that if they don't, Israel will. "Israel will continue to defend itself and hit the perpetrators of terrorism." Sharon also vowed to strengthen Jewish settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria and to complete construction of the security barrier.
Terrorists Assassinated in Gaza:
Tuesday afternoon the Israeli Air Force fired missiles at a car in the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza, killing two terrorist commanders. Hassan Al Madhun, was active in the Al Aksa Brigades, a military wing of the Fatah and the party of "Palestinian" Authority (PA) chief Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). Fuazi Abu Kara was a member of the military wing of the Hamas, the Al Kassam Brigades. The two men were killed in a vehicle bearing a license plate belonging to the "Palestinian" Authority's official security apparatus! Both groups vowed revenge, promising to "open the gates of hell" (to which apparently they have the keys). A military spokesman said that Al Madhun was responsible for twin attacks in Ashdod's harbor in 2004 where ten people were killed, and for bombing the Karni crossing between the Gaza district and the Negev, where six more were killed. He is also suspected of having given the order to send a female suicide bomber to blow up Soroka hospital in Beer Sheva a few months ago. While he was doing all this for Fatah's military wing, in coordination with Hamas, Al Madhun held an official position in the PA, working for their Preventative Security Agency in Gaza. Ironically, this agency was set up by the PA with the intentions of thwarting terrorist attacks against Israel.
We'll End Assassination The Day Abbas Fights Terror:
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister (FM) Silvan Shalom said that Israel will immediately stop assassinations of commanders of "Palestinian" terror organizations the day that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas takes real measures to stop terrorism. Referring to the government's current assassination policy, Shalom said, "It is not our goal to continue this activity. It's all up to Abu Mazen [Abbas]. If Abu Mazen takes the strategic decision to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, and keeps them from carrying out this activity in Gaza, believe me, that same day all this business in Gaza will end."
Israeli Leaders snub Christian Embassy Feast:
In record breaking numbers evangelical Christians attended the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration this year. The event, sponsored by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem had more than 6,000 participants from 72 countries. For the first time, however, Israeli leaders did not address the group, which strongly supports the state of Israel. Prime Minister Sharon expressed security and scheduling concerns, but pro-Christian Knesset members say Sharon did not want to address the Zionist Christians because they opposed his disengagement from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. ICEJ staff members expressed disappointment that Sharon did not attend.
Sharon Held Personally Responsible:
Head of the Land of Israel Legal Forum, Attorney Yitzchak Meron, (representing the Gush Katif refugees) has written a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In it he stated, "Over 70 days have passed since, at your initiative, some 9,000 people were thrown out of their homes. Almost none of them have attained their permanent [housing] solution. At the earliest, they will reach it two years from now, and others will apparently have a final housing solution in only 3-4 years. No less severe is the fact that 2/3 of the people still do not even have a temporary solution. As it appears now, a large portion of them will reach this only 3-6 months from now."
"In short, the State has taken away from thousands of expelled residents their houses that they built with great toil, and these people are now without a home. They live in crowded hotel conditions. Some of them will have to remain this way for months to come. Physical and psychological ramifications of this situation are already noticeable, and experts say they will only get worse."
"Among the issues that have not been solved and that could be solved by your personal intervention are the families that lived in the area for many years - including young couples who were born there and families who rented privately - but because of various technical definitions, [are not yet receiving compensation]. The uprooted people themselves are not even involved in various negotiations between the government and the locations where caravila communities are planned - and they stand helpless on the sidelines."
Believe it or not:
Tziviya Sariel, a sixteen year-old-girl, is being held without bail in an Israeli jail for participating in anti-disengagement protests. On top of that, Tziviya is being sent for psychological testing because of her religious beliefs and because of her insistence to be tried before a Rabbinic court. Please help Tzviyah by signing the petition. President Moshe Katzav will receive all of the e-mails in his office. Also, feel free to forward this message to anyone you think might sign.
Klein on Abbas:
Last week the Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz, stated that it is impossible to make peace with "Palestinian" Authority (PA) chief, Mahmoud Abbas (pictured left) and his administration. Mofaz stated: "We will not reach peace with the current Palestinian leadership - we have to wait until the next generation." Morton A. Klein, (pictured right) President of the Zionist Organization of America said, "We completely agree with the sober, realistic assessment of Mahmoud Abbas and his leadership that has been put forward by Defense Minister Mofaz. Mahmoud Abbas has been in power now almost one year. In that time, he has not lifted a finger to dismantle the terrorist organizations, arrest their members, confiscate illegal weaponry or truly cooperate with Israel to prevent terrorism occurring. He has not ended the promotion of hatred and murder
of Israelis and Jews in the Palestinian media, mosques, schools and youth camps that has poisoned a new generation of Palestinians. He has not ceased calling terrorists "heroes" or renamed the Palestinian streets, schools and sports teams named in honor of suicide bombers. He continues to pay the salaries of clerics who spew forth hatred and murder of Jews in Palestinian mosques."
On 13 October 2005 a ceremony was held in the Gaza Strip where the Al-Ansar Charity Association distributed a sum of one million dollars, given by Iran, to families of 'martyrs' (meaning murdering suicide bombers) whose homes had been demolished and to families of detainees in the Gaza Strip. "Palestinian" President Mahmoud Abbas sponsored the ceremony.
Italians Rally Against Iran:
A planned pro-Israel rally was held in Rome Thursday. Italian politicians from the left and right attended the event as a protest to the remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a speech last week he called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." A wave of demonstrations in support of Israel swept across Europe Wednesday evening, with protestors gathering in front of Iranian embassies in European capital cities. Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini said Wednesday the international community had to maintain a "firm line" against Tehran. Fini said he had instructed Toscano to tell the Iranians why "there has been so much indignation and concern" about Ahmadinejad's remarks.
Terrorist Weapons flow into Judea & Samaria:
The Israeli Army has arrested several Arab terrorists trying to bring Kassam rocket technology and parts into Judea and Samaria. Intelligence officials admit that they do not how many have slipped by. One soldier who patrols the Judean Desert said, "You wouldn't believe the weapons we have caught in smuggling attempts." Tel Aviv suburbs residents in the Sharon area said they also are concerned about the increasing likelihood of rocket and mortar shell attacks. They have asked the Israeli government to install Red Dawn alert systems as has been done in Sderot and Ashkelon. The siren alert gives residents 20 seconds to run for cover in the event of an attack.
Sanhedrin Unveils New Project:
Since its first initiation last year, the Sanhedrin court of 71 rabbis has strived to fulfill the requirements of Jewish law for renewing the authentic rabbinic ordination (passed down from Moses) and for reestablishing the Great Court. The Sanhedrin of biblical times was disbanded 1,600 years ago. At the conference held last Sunday, distinguished members of the Court, led by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz), presented a humble, yet exhilarating plan to broaden the scope and acceptance of the Court moving toward becoming the restored Sanhedrin of old.
Israel has a New Weapon:
Leaders from the communities of Gush Etzion and Kiryat Arba have proposed replacing sections of the security fence with prickly pear cacti. Israeli Security officials apparently loved the idea. "It's just one of many proposals aimed at transforming the political fence into a security fence. Never in the past has a border been established in accordance with prickly pear trees," said Gush Etzion Regional Council Head Shaul Goldstein. Community leaders will present Goldstein’s more detailed plan to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and related government committees. Two weeks ago, Mofaz and representatives from the Gush Etzion and Kiriyat Arba regional councils began discussing the issue after the drive-by terrorist attack near Gush Etzion, where two young women and a teenager were killed. After much political arguing over the fence, residents decided it was time to "think outside the box."
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Tzemach News Service [TNS] is a ministry of: Tzemach Institute for Biblical Studies
This week's sources: Arutz Sheva, Israel Today, Jerusalem Post, The Lekarev Report, Unity Coalition for Israel.
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