Thousands attend funeral of slain Border Police officer
Thousands attended the funeral Thursday for slain Israeli Border Police officer Jedan Assad, in the northern Druze village of Beit Jann.Yehuda Glick Begins to Communicate with Family Members
“An entire life was cut short because of terror and its cruelty,” Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said at the ceremony. “This murderous terror, that originated with the Palestinian Authority and the leaders of Hamas and of the Islamic Movement, succeeded in reaching Beit Jann.”
“It is with pride and honor that officers like Jedan serve in the Israeli police,” police chief Yohanan Danino added. “It’s a credit to the state and a credit to society that these are their police officers.”
Assad, 38, was a father to a three-year-old son, and his wife is five months pregnant.
Yehuda Glick's medical condition continues to improve Thursday.Terror Victims Medical Updates
The activist for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount has been hospitalized at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for a week, since an Arab terrorist tried to assassinate him last Wednesday.
Army Radio reported, and Glick's son Haggai told Walla! News that Glick had begun to communicate with relatives. "My father replied with nods of 'Yes and No' to questions last night and this morning," he said.
However, the activist is still on a respirator and his condition continues to be defined as serious. Additionally, because of the intense pain he is in when awake, doctors have increased dosages of anesthetic.
Following yesterday’s multiple terror attacks, here is an update on some of the wounded who are still in the hospital.
Shimon HaTzadik platform attack: Five wounded are still in the hospital.
Three wounded still hospitalized at Shaarei Tzedek hospital. One is in serious condition, two are in moderate condition.
Two wounded are still hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital. One is in moderate condition. He underwent surgery yesterday, and is now conscious and his health has significantly improved. The second is in critical condition.
Gush Etzion Attack: Three wounded are still in the hospital.
Three wounded are being treated at Hadassah Ein Karem. One is in light condition. The second is in moderate to serious condition. The third is in serious condition.
Refuah Shleimah to all our injured.
One was a terrorist, the other a policeman
They were the same age, spoke the same language. But the Palestinian who killed the Israeli were worlds apart'Jerusalem terror attack - a result of Abbas' incitement'
The two men at the center of the deadly Wednesday terrorist attack in Jerusalem were similar in some ways – but worlds apart.
Both died in Jerusalem.
Ibrahim al-Akkari was a Palestinian terrorist who deliberately ran over and killed Jaddan Assad, an Israeli police commander, and wounded more than 10 others. Al-Akkari was shot dead by police when he got out of his car and started attacking other cars with an iron bar.
They were the same age, 38. Both were fathers – Assad of a three-year-old boy with a wife five-months pregnant, and al-Akkari of five children.
Both were Arabic speakers, both had strong family ties and both had links to Islam – al-Akkari was a devout Muslim, Assad a member of the Druze sect, which is an offshoot of Islam. Their families were both proud of them, and both blamed politicians for the violence in Jerusalem.
But the similarities end there.
Following the terrorist attack in Jerusalem on Wednesday in which one Israeli was killed, many Israeli politicians denounced Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for his incitement against Israel.Khaled Abu Toameh: Family of slain terrorist 'proud' of Jerusalem attack, Al-Acri's 'martyrdom'
"We are in the midst of a battle for Jerusalem, and, in this war, we will win," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. "This attack was the direct result of the incitement of Abbas and his Hamas partners. This front of hate wants to run over all of us. Peace will come when Abbas stops calling Jews 'defilers' and he stops embracing murderers."
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said, "The rhetoric of incitement of Abbas -- who, with one hand, spreads hatred and lies against the State of Israel and, with the other, glorifies and exalts Palestinian terrorists who attack Jews -- is responsible for the bloodshed in Jerusalem."
His wife said that when he saw what was happening at the Temple Mount in the morning, he decided to go out on his mission of "martyrdom."PMW: Abbas' Fatah encourages terror attacks by car
She said that when her husband saw images of blood and wounded people during clashes with police forces at the Temple Mount early in the morning, "he rushed out to become a martyr and hero."
One of Aqari's sons said he was proud of the attack that his father carried out. The son, Hamzeh, told reporters in the refugee camp Shuafat that his father was angry because of Jewish "incursions" into the Aqsa Mosque compound.
Residents of the camp declared a day of mourning on Thursday over the killing of Aqari.
The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, referred to the attack as a "car accident." The PA's official news agency headlined: "Jerusalem driver dies in car accident that also injured Israelis."
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement continues to heat up the atmosphere in Jerusalem and actively encourages Palestinians to carry out attacks on Israelis by running them over with cars.ADL Condemns Jerusalem Attack, Calls on Abbas to Follow Suit
Today, the above cartoon appeared on one of Fatah's official Facebook pages. "Fatah-The Main Page" labeled the cartoon "the run over organization" (a play on words on the Arabic word for "run over" - da'es - and the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State terror organization - Da'esh). The cartoon urges people to "Hit the gas at 199 [km/h] for Al-Aqsa." The crossed-over traffic sign says "Al-Aqsa," hinting that Jews are not allowed to enter the Temple Mount. [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," Nov. 6, 2014]
Another post instructs: "Run over, friend, run over the foreign settler!" [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," Nov. 6, 2014]
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a statement condemning Wednesday's car terror attack in Jerusalem.Terrorist praised would-be assassin of Temple Mount activist
A Palestinian man from eastern Jerusalem drove his van into multiple crowds, killing Israeli Border Patrol officer Jedan Assad and injuring 13 others. The terrorist then exited his vehicle and began attacking people with an iron bar, before being shot and killed by police.
In addition to the afternoon attack, late Wednesday night, a terrorist driving a Palestinian Arab commercial vehicle attempted to run over IDF soldiers as they were on duty near a guard stand outside of Kafr Al-Arub. Three soldiers were injured in that attack, two seriously.
Responding to the violence, the ADL, in its statement, urged Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to categorically condemn the acts of violence and refrain from using such attack to further incite passions and hatred.
Abbas and the PA, however, have been more concerned with fueling tensions and blaming Israel in recent weeks.
Ibrahim al-Akary, a Hamas member who plowed his van through groups of pedestrians in Jerusalem Wednesday in a deadly terror attack, had glorified the shooter of Jewish activist Yehudah Glick and repeatedly warned against the Jewish presence on Temple Mount, his Facebook activity indicates.Watch: 'How I Shot the Jerusalem Car Terrorist'
Just hours after the October 29 assassination attempt on Glick, who campaigned for the Jewish right to pray on the Temple Mount, Akary, from the Shuafat refugee camp, posted a message on Facebook praising the would-be killer.
“Praise Allah, an unknown person has targeted settler leader Yehudah Glick — who storms Al-Aqsa daily — and shot him, hitting him directly,” he wrote and later posted an interview with Glick’s shooter, Mu’taz Hijazi. Hijazi was shot dead resisting arrest a few hours later, Israeli officials said.
Hamas rushed to claim responsibility for Akary’s attack in a statement published Wednesday, calling him “a heroic martyr” and follower of “the heroes, Abdelrahman Al-Shaludi [who carried out a similar car attack on October 22] and Mu’taz Hijazi.”
"I and four other border police officers saw the terrorist's vehicle strike officers and civilians near the train," H. recounted. "We realized this was a terror attack and we began pursuing him."Five Arrested in Connection With Jerusalem Terror Attack
"He continued driving, hitting cars and people along the way," he continued. "We managed to stop him at the next intersection."
Then, the situation escalated, he said.
"The terrorist opened the car door and emerged with a metal bar and began to hit civilians and officers," H. stated. "He started running at us and did not respond to calls to stop and we shot him."
"I have no doubt that all Border Guard officers would act the same way," he added. "We lost an officer today. We express our condolences to the family."
IDF troops have reportedly arrested five people from villages in the Hevron area as they continue to pursue the terrorist cell that dispatched a terrorist who rammed a vehicle into a crowd of Israelis Wednesday in Jerusalem, killing one and injuring 13.Bennett: Concrete barriers to prevent ramming attacks are 'a prize for terror'
The five are said to be members of the same extended family, in the villages of Beit Awa and Dura.
Palestinian Authority sources reported the arrests, adding that troops had placed both villages under curfew. Troops also searched the house of the terrorist, Ibrahim al-Akari, who was shot by Border Guard officers after the attack. In another raid, PA sources said, IDF troops entered the village of Yatta south of Hevron, and conducted searches there. Al-Akari is a known member of Hamas who lived in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat.
Police on Thursday were putting in place measures to prevent further vehicular terror attacks at Jerusalem Light Rail Stations.Liberman Calls PA a 'Terrorocracy' in Wake of Attack
Two such attacks have claimed the lives of three people in recent weeks. The latest attack took place on Wednesday, when a Palestinian driver slammed his car into pedestrians at two separate locations near the light rail track in Jerusalem. Immediately after hitting eight pedestrians, security forces nearby shot and killed the driver.
Jerusalem Police Chief Moshe Edri, in conjunction with the Jerusalem Municipality, ordered the placing of concrete barriers next to light rail stations to prevent vehicles from entering passenger waiting areas.
Concrete barriers have been placed next to the station at Givat HaMivtar and were set to be placed along the Bar Lev route, where Wednesday's attack occurred, as well as on Hayal Hahandasa, Yaffo Street and Herzl Boulevard.
Economy Minister Nafatali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) called the placing of the concrete barriers a "prize for terror."
Bennett said that the solution to terror was not "to put Jews behind walls and concrete barriers, but rather to deter the murderers."
Liberman later states that Abbas has a "long-standing policy of deliberately foiling any chance at arriving at a peaceful resolution of the conflict" and noted Abbas's pact with Hamas, torpedoing peace talks, and multiple statements inciting violence against Jews.New bill seeks to revoke citizenship of terrorists and their families
The Foreign Minister stresses, in a direct appeal to his counterparts worldwide, that the "Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for glorifying terrorists and murderers, to ensure that its conduct is in accordance with accepted international norms," noting that a "society in which cold-blooded murder is revered by the head of state is not one that can be expected to pursue peaceful co-existence."
Liberman ultimately calls the PA a "terrorocracy" and urges foreign ministers not to remain silent.
Israeli-Arab terrorists and their families could lose their citizenship if a bill MK Shimon Ohayon (Yisrael Beytenu) submitted Thursday passes.Terror Groups: 'Car Intifada' is Here
The legislation allows, but does not require, Interior Ministers to revoke citizenship from anyone who committed a terrorist act or aiding someone in doing so, is a member of a terrorist organization or is a relative of someone who falls into those categories.
The alleged terrorists will have a chance to defend themselves before their citizenship is taken away.
"The fight against terrorism must be comprehensive and extensive," Ohayon said. "It is absurd that someone will continue having the rights of an Israeli citizen if they want to harm or kill us."
After the second attack in as many weeks by Arab terrorists against Israelis using cars, Hamas websites are glorifying the new “car intifada,” with vehicles now replacing rockets as the weapon of choice against Israelis.Turkish News Agency Distorts Jerusalem Attack
On Wednesday, one person was killed and at least 13 were wounded in Jerusalem, when a terrorist drove his vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians at the Shimon Hatzadik train station, north of the Old City and not far from the Municipality building.
The attack was similar to one that occurred in later October, when a terrorist rammed his vehicle into a crowd waiting for a train in Jerusalem.
Common to both attacks is that they were carried out by Hamas terrorists who were residents of Jerusalem – and licensed drivers who had access to vehicles.
Government Press Office (GPO) Director Nitzan Chen on Wednesday summoned the Israel bureau chief of the Turkish Anadolu Agency, after the agency distorted Wednesday’s hit-and-run terrorist attack in Jerusalem.Sickening: Arab Youths Take 'Selfie' at Site of Jerusalem Attack
The news agency had described the terrorist responsible for the attack as a "Palestinian man shot dead by the Israeli police" on its official English-language Twitter account.
Under the tweet, Anadolu attached two photos showing the terrorist's body covered with a white plastic sheet, with Israeli police and paramedics shown in the background.
The website of the Yedioth Ahronoth first reported about the tweet, which the news agency later removed.
“Journalists who engage in incitement and who disseminate misleading information which is liable to put lives at risk are liable to have their GPO cards revoked,” the GPO said in a statement on Wednesday night.
Just hours after a Hamas terrorist drove his car into a crowd of Israeli civilians in Jerusalem, murdering one person and injured 3 others, some seriously, a picture has emerged of Arab youths reveling in the murder - by taking a "selfie" at the site of the attack.EU Foreign Affairs Chief Condemns Car Terror Attack
Veteran Israeli journalist and Kol Yisrael Palestinian Affairs Correspondent Gal Berger posted the chilling photo on Twitter.
In it, two Arab youths - who he claims are residents of "east Jerusalem" - can be seen grinning into the camera even as emergency services are still tending to the scene in the background.
In her statement, Mogherini expressed concern for the victims and called for continued work toward a peace agreement.Security source: IDF checking possibility that West Bank attack was accident, not terror
"Today's terroristic attack in East Jerusalem is another painful evidence of the need to undertake serious efforts towards a sustainable peace agreement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We express our heartfelt condolences to the victim's family.
Reiterating a common US and EU request to practice restraint, Mogherini continued, "I expect all parties to act responsibly and show restraint, to not further inflame the already very tense situation. This is the only way to defeat the enemies of peace and guaranteeing security to all."
United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, also addressed the tension in his condemnation following the attack: "That is not just a terrorist act and an ... atrocity, but it only makes matters worse. It only raises tensions."
A senior Israeli security source said Thursday that the IDF was examining the possibility that what has been referred to as a ramming terror attack that wounded three soldiers on Wednesday night in the West Bank, may have in fact been a hit-and-run accident.UPDATED: Arab Attacks Jerusalem Light Rail Guard – Get Taken Down [video]
The first suspect, believed to be an abettor of the driver of the vehicle who hit the soldiers, was arrested by the Combat Engineering Corps' 603rd Battalion in Bet Awa, in the South Mount Hebron region on Wednesday night soon after the incident.
On Thursday morning, the driver of the van turned himself in, security forces said.
A senior security source said one of the directions being examined is that the incident was a hit-and-run accident, and that the suspects did not intend to strike the soldiers.
An Arab attacked a guard on the Jerusalem Light rail on Thursday morning, according to an 0404 News report.Armed Guard to Kindergarten? 'That's Jerusalem'
The incident took place near Sha’ar Shechem (Damascus Gate) when an Arab tried to attack a Jerusalem Light Rail guard near the Old City.
Within seconds, the well-trained Jerusalem Light Rail guards had the man on the floor and handcuffed.
A Border Police patrol in the area then arrested the man.
The man who was arrested is reportedly supposed to be under house arrest for a separate security incident.
Just how badly has the security situation deteriorated in Israel's capital amid the "silent intifada" that has been spiraling out of control in recent months?'People Are Afraid to Bury Their Dead on Mount of Olives'
Arutz Sheva spent some time with Avishag Ganot, a resident of the Jewish neighborhood of Kidmat Tzion located in eastern Jerusalem adjacent to Abu Dis, who needs an accompanying car and armed guard just to pick her children up from kindergarten each day.
The neighborhood just last month celebrated ten years since its founding, in a celebration that featured mizrahi ("oriental") music superstar Kobi Peretz and popular Kiryat Arba singer Udi Davidi - but the daily life in an area near Abu Dis where terrorists march freely is more flash-point than flashy.
"I bring my kids and pick them up every day from a kindergarten in Ma'ale Hazeitim (on the Mount of Olives - ed.) which is a five minute drive from Kidmat Tzion," said Ganot. "In the morning it's more calm and I bravely take them even in my car, but in the afternoon hours when young Arabs aren't in school anymore we get hit with rocks. A day when we don't get rocks on the car is a miracle."
Jerusalem Director of Cemeteries, Rabbi Hillel Horowitz, told Arutz Sheva that the many acts of desecration at the cemetery on the Mount of Olives must not be ignored.Jordan ready to ‘take measures’ against Israel
Dozens of graves have been destroyed at the site over the past few months. Security cameras at the cemetery have also been destroyed, and fires set on the tombs of hassidic leaders.
Jewish visitors have filed hundreds of complaints regarding rock-throwing attacks by Arabs, and vandalism of the graves of loved ones.
"Unfortunately, in recent months we have witnessed a real war. They destroy tombs and burn graves," Rabbi Horowitz said, "Tishrei saw three pogroms in which the grave of the Admor [Grand Rabbi] of Gur was desecrated. We hope that the situation will be repaired. In the past few days, police have greatly increased their presence Jerusalem and also their presence in the cemetery."
Rabbi Horowitz stressed the need to increase punishment against grave violators.
Jordan told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that it was ready to take measures to stop Israeli actions on the Temple Mount in East Jerusalem after Israeli police clashes with Palestinians there on Wednesday morning.Israel allows transport of Gaza produce to West Bank
“Jordan considers such serious and outrageous actions by Israel an unprecedented escalation,” said Ambassador Dina Kawar in a letter to the president of the Security Council.
Noting that Jordan had recalled its ambassador from Israel, the UN envoy added that “this is without prejudice to any further lawful steps and measures that Jordan will be taking to stop Israeli attacks against the Haram Al-Sharif (Al-Aqsa)” mosque.
Earlier Wednesday, Jordan warned it will reevaluate its diplomatic ties with Israel, including its 20-year peace accord, in light of what it termed Israeli “violations” on the Temple Mount.
Israel began allowing agricultural produce from the Gaza Strip to be transported to markets in the West Bank on Thursday as a load of cucumbers made the journey from the coastal enclave to Hebron.Hamas Spending $140 Million a Year to Build Tunnels – Again Using Child Workers
Some ten tons of cucumbers were trucked from Gaza to the southern West Bank city, the first time such a shipment has been made since Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007.
The move was authorized by Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, head of the IDF’s coordination with Palestinian authorities, and is aimed at bolstering Gaza’s economic situation by enabling locally produced agricultural items to be sold in the West Bank.
Next week, a further shipment of tuna and other fish will also travel from Gaza to West Bank markets.
Egyptian security reports (Arabic link) revealed that Hamas is spending $140 million a year to dig terror tunnels. According to the reports, no less than 12,000 Palestinians, many of them children, take part in the process of building the tunnels.JPost Editorial: Egypt’s disengagement
These tunnels are used to smuggle weapons and materials used to manufacture explosive devices, as well as transferring terrorists between Gaza and the Sinai. According to the Al-Arabiya news website, Hamas has set up a special tunnel-digging unit under the control of the movement’s military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Egyptian security sources revealed that another special division belonging to Al-Qassam Brigades provides each tunnel with tons of cement so that it does not collapse. The entrances of the tunnels are excavated inside homes, mosques, and schools to prevent their exposure.
Imagine the following: Israel declares its intention to create a buffer zone between itself and the Gaza Strip.Israel agrees to allow more Egyptian forces in Sinai
The rationale is trenchant. After the discovery of numerous attack tunnels leading from Gaza into Israeli communities – to say nothing of ambushes, attempted abductions, and mortar fire – Israel resolved to clear a swathe of territory from any habitation. This would deny the terrorists cover for their tunnel-digging, ambushes, etc.
It’s no stretch to suppose that, immediately upon Israel’s announcement of its intentions, the entire international community would explode into a deafening recriminatory uproar. Condemnations and threats would flow in from around the globe. The UN would censure, the US would threaten, and the EU would preach.
If Israel were to proceed with its plans despite the pandemonium, a horrific spate of terrorism would erupt, rockets would rain on Israeli civilians, Israel would be ostracized even further than it is already, sanctions would ensue, and a maelstrom of malevolence would engulf the Jewish state.
Footage of hapless families evicted with all their worldly belongings and of their homes being blown sky-high would seal Israel’s fate as the pariah of the civilized world.
Israel gave the Egyptian army authorization to move two more battalions into the Sinai Peninsula Thursday.Train Blast in Egypt Kill Two Officers
In addition to the infantry battalions, the Egyptians will also move attack helicopters into positions in the Sinai, according to Army Radio, which reported that the decision was made in order to enable Egypt to fight radical elements in the peninsula.
Egypt has ramped up its operations in the Sinai since an attack last month on a military installation by local jihadist organization Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis left 31 soldiers dead. Following the attack, Egypt closed its border with the Gaza Strip and began construction on a buffer zone in the area.
Two Egyptian policemen were killed after a bomb exploded inside a train carriage north of Cairo on Wednesday night, police officials said, according to Al Jazeera.ISIS Proclaims ‘Calpihate of Sinai’; Calls for Attacking Israel’s Eilat
The policemen had been inspecting the rudimentary bomb after the train, in the Menufiya province north of Cairo, stopped at a station when the explosive went off, the officials said.
The bomb exploded as police evacuated passengers from the carriage, also wounding eight people, state television reported.
The bombing is the latest in a series of attacks that have hit Egypt over the past year, since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi.
The Islamic State has announced the establishment of what it called the “Sinai Caliphate” in the peninsula in a statement reported on the Saffad.com website.Tunisian Islamists protest French-Jewish philosopher’s visit
The organization defined its mission as “destroying all the Egyptian military facilities and bases all over the Sinai and destroying the soldiers.”
But Israel, too, also received special attention, with the organization’s focus on the Red Sea port and tourist city of Eilat, according to the report.
Despite denials by Egyptian officials, some sources said that there are 4-to 5,000 militants already infiltrated within the Sinai Peninsula.
Dozens of Tunisian Islamists protested a visit to their country by the French-Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, whom they called a Zionist agent.MEMRI: In Open Letter To Muslim World, French Muslim Philosopher Says Islam Has Given Birth To Monsters, Needs Reform
The Islamists greeted Levy, a celebrity writer in his native France, with a protest rally at Tunis’ Carthage airport on October 31, the Le Parisien daily reported.
“No to Zionist power in Tunisia” and “Get lost,” the protesters yelled at Levy, who left the North African country on Monday.
His visit came in the wake of the country’s second free parliamentary election since the 2011 overthrow of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in a revolution that sparked a string of revolutions across the Arab world.
In an essay published October 3, 2014 in the French newspaper Marianne, Abdennour Bidar, philosopher and author of Self Islam, a personal history of Islam (Seuil, 2006); Islam without submission: a Muslim existentialism (Albin Michel, 2008), and History of humanism in the West (Armand Colin, 2014), wrote that believing Muslims cannot avoid a discussion of the causes of jihadi excesses by merely denouncing terrorist barbarism. He says that in the face of the dogmas and political manipulation to which it is being subjected, the Muslim world must be self-critical, and must act to reform itself. The following is his essay:
"I See That You Are Losing Yourself, Losing Your Time And Your Honor, In Your Refusal To Recognize That This Monster [ISIS] Is Born Of You"
"Dear Muslim world: I am one of your estranged sons, who views you from without and from afar – from France, where so many of your children live today. I look at you with the harsh eyes of a philosopher, nourished from infancy on tasawwuf (Sufism) and Western thought. I look at you therefore, from my position of barzakh, from an isthmus between the two seas of the East and the West.