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| Week ending Shabbat, April 14, 2007 |
26 Nissan, 5767 |
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Passover Massacre Stopped
A major suicide attack planned for Tel Aviv was prevented this Passover, as Shin Bet and the Israeli Defense Force arrested nineteen Hamas members in the city of Qalqilya for planning to detonate a car bomb containing some 220 pounds of explosives. A would-be suicide bomber, who also held an Israeli ID obtained through family unification, had already reached the center of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area with the vehicle, but for unknown reasons did not carry out the attack and returned to Qalqilya, where the bomb accidentally exploded. Following a recent wave of arrests of Hamas members in Qalqilya, it became apparent that the organization's men in the city were working toward committing attacks against Israel's home front as soon as possible, after a period of re-strengthening and building up their capabilities. The investigations showed that the group was plotting to carry out a number of different attacks in Israel in addition to this car bomb.
Political Battle Continues Over the Hevron 'Peace House'
By Monday signs increasingly pointed to wide-scale governmental opposition to Defense Minister Amir Peretz's plan to evict the Jews from their new building in Hevron. The residents said: "If they try to get us out, we'll be ready."
The Jewish Community of Hevron duly purchased the large building two years ago, via a Jordanian businessman, for $700,000 (see archived reports from April 7 and March 24). Though some Israeli officials said they were still checking the legality of the sale, the Arabs were not waiting; the former Arab owner has already been arrested and charged with selling property to a Jew, a capital offense under both Jordanian and "Palestinian" Authority law. Some twenty families from Hevron and neighboring communities joyously moved into the building immediately upon the publication of the sale three weeks ago. Many of the tens of thousands of visitors to Hevron over the Passover holiday also stopped off at the building, expressing happiness at the acquisition of another Jewish property in the City of the Patriarchs. Adding to the sense of celebration was the critical location of the building - along the Arab-populated road leading from Kiryat Arba to the Jewish section of Hevron.
Their joy was somewhat doused the previous Thursday night with the announcement by Defense Minister Amir Peretz of Labor that he plans to evacuate the Jews from the building. He explained that even if the sale is legal, the residents had failed to obtain permission from the defense establishment before moving in, as is required in Judea and Samaria. MK Ephraim Sneh (Labor Party) seconded Peretz's position. Peretz has been under fire within his Labor Party for not evacuating Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria as he promised. His decision was thus greeted by many political figures as merely serving his own political needs. The follwing day, however, it appeared likely that Peretz would have a hard time implementing his decision. MK Effie Eitam said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told him last week that he would not allow Peretz to evacuate the building. "If the building in Hevron was acquired legally," Olmert reportedly told Eitam, "I won't let Peretz evacuate it." Eitam said he met with the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Roni Bar-On (Kadima) on the issue. "Evacuating this building," Eitam said he told Olmert, "would be against rules of natural justice and the legitimate rights of Jews to acquire property and to live in their homes everywhere in the Land of Israel." In addition, Kadima MK Otniel Schneller said that most of his party colleagues in the Knesset intend to block Peretz’s "politically-based" plan to evacuate Peace House. Kadima Knesset faction leader Avigdor Yitzchaki also expressed his support for the Jewish residents of Peace House in a visit the same afternoon, together with Likud MK Gidon Saar. "Peretz must not be allowed to thrown the whole country into a tizzy because of his own personal political considerations," MK Eitam said, in reference to Peretz's all-but-lost bid to retain his leadership of the Labor Party. Labor will hold party primaries for the leadership late next month.
The house is called "Peace House," Hevron spokesman David Wilder explained, "because our goal is to live in peace with our neighbors. "And in fact, though our new house is surrounded on three sides by Arabs, as is the road that leads to it, they have not reacted with any hostility to our presence." Despite the encouraging signs on the political front, preliminary plans are being made to bring in supporters from all over the country to rebuff any attempt to evacuate the structure. In addition, the residents are continuing to make the giant structure ready for habitation for some twenty new families. This will partially ease the housing crisis for the Jewish Community of Hevron, which has been stifled by lack of space for new families for some time.
Wednesday morning, contrary to reports issued by Defense Minister Amir Peretz's office, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz did not approve the evacuation of Peace House in Hevron. It was similarly announced that Peretz had instructed the Coordinator of IDF Activities in Judea and Samaria, Major-General Yosef Mishlav, to prepare for the evacuation. The Justice Ministry confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Mazuz had found no reason to order an immediate evacuation, but rather that the residents must be informed in advance of the intentions to evacuate them, and be allowed a hearing and a court appeal if necessary.
Wednesday evening, despite the Attorney General’s refusal to authorize the move, the IDF Civil Administration officials served the residents of the Peace House in Hevron an eviction order. The officers reportedly affixed the order to the building and handed copies to some of the residents. The document, signed by Civil Administration chief Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai, informs the residents that they must either prove their ownership of the house within fifteen days or leave the premises. Minister of Knesset (MK) Otniel Schneller (Kadima Party) has demanded that Defense Minister Amir Peretz be fired for taking action against the residents without waiting for a government debate on the subject. "Alternately, I call upon the Prime Minister to remove Peretz's authority to make any decision about Judea and Samaria," Schneller said. He added that Peretz's actions regarding the Peace House were politically motivated. A majority of government ministers oppose the eviction of the Jewish residents of Hevron's Peace House, an informal survey by the Maariv news agency has found. At least ten ministers are expected not to support the move, should it come to a vote.
On Thursday, the Civil Administration posted notices on Beit HaShalom, the new Jewish-owned building connecting Kiryat Arba with the Machpelah Cave area. The residents are ordered to prove within fifteen days that their purchase was legal - or else face eviction. The residents say they have already proven the legality of the purchase. The residents, for their part, are optimistic that they will remain and merit the further fulfillment of "settling the Land of Israel." As of now, thirteen families and nearly fifty singles live in the building; it was not planned as a residential structure, but is now undergoing renovations.
Fighter Jets Escort Airline Flight
Four fighter jets, two F-16s and two F-15s, scrambled to intercept a Continental flight when it failed to make contact with Air Traffic Control at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. When the Continental flight reached a distance of about sixty-eight kilometers from Israel the fighter jets were dispatched by the Israel Air Force to confirm that the plane had not been taken over by terrorists. Following anti-terror procedures, the Israeli jets guided the plane back over the Mediterranean Sea until full communications were restored. An Israel Air Force official said the prime minister and defense minister were also informed in real time because of the sensitivity of the matter. “From the moment that we lost contact with (the jet) we treated the incident as a possible terror act. When the fighter jets approached the plane, they guided it west. It contacted us and that's how we were sure it was not a terror attempt,” said the source.
Continental Airlines issued a statement on Wednesday that said the following:
"Continental Airlines Flight 90 from Newark with two hundred fifty-one passengers landed safely in Tel Aviv at 4:30 this afternoon. Before the arrival, there was a temporary lapse in communications between the plane and the Air Traffic Control tower, and responsibility for the flight was passed from one control tower to a second one. As a result of this, the Air Force made contact with the plane and escorted it to its landing at its intended destination - Ben-Gurion Airport."
Continental Airlines also said that is was investigating the situation in order to avoid similar such incidents in the future.
Thousands Visit Tombs of Joshua and Caleb
Some 5,000 Jews availed themselves Thursday night of the IDF's offer to safeguard the area of the Arab village of Kifel Heres so that they could visit the holy sites. The area lies immediately to the north of the city of Ariel in the heartland region of Samaria. Twice a year, the security forces enable Jews to visit the holy gravesites of Joshua (Yehoshua ben Nun) and Caleb (Calev ben Yefuneh), who led the Israelis in their conquest of the Promised Land. The 5,000 visitors arrived throughout the night, experiencing the unusual sensation of walking freely through an Arab village without fear of attack. The three graves are interspersed among the village's houses; two of them are housed by dome-like structures, while Nun's (Joshua's father) grave is marked only with a large concrete mound.
Most worshipers arrived first at the grave of Calev, who led the Tribe of Judah in conquering Hebron (Hevron). They then walked a few hundreds meters to the north to the burial place of Joshua, and then to the west where lies his father. Joshua and Calev were the only ones of the twelve spies dispatched by Moses who returned with an encouraging report of the Land of Israel. Pamphlets with special prayers were handed out to the thousands of visitors. The prayers included mentions of the special merit of the three holy men in that they experienced the Exodus from Egypt, the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, and the conquest of the Land of Israel.
"We see that the public votes with its feet on behalf of Judaism's holy site," an organizer said, "without consideration of separation fences, inclement weather [it began drizzling around 1:30 AM], or the late hour." Dov Shapira, head of the local religious council, gave a deluxe edition of the Bible, accompanied by Joshua's blessing "Be strong and of great courage," to the head of the IDF Nachshon Regiment, in recognition of the army's cooperation in the complex operation.
Tour the Biblical Heartland of Israel
The Tzemach Institute has joined forces with the Christian Friends Of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) in planning a special tour of the heartland of biblical Israel. Join us as we explore Israel from a genuine Biblical Zionists perspective. Meet the people who are continuing the Biblical narrative in the Land today. See for yourself how ancient prophesies are being fulfilled. Discover how you too can participate in the ongoing process of Biblical Redemption. Join us for an opportunity of a lifetime, to see the real Israel from the viewpoint of those who are living the Bible today. The experience will change your life. The tour has been coordinated with Sondra Baras of CFOIC and will be guided by Associate Pastor Jon Klein [pictured left].
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