Thursday, March 31, 2022

03/31 Links Pt1: Noah Rothman: In Israel, the Grimly Familiar and the Utterly Shocking; New synagogue guidelines call for weapons, cellphones on Shabbat following deadly attacks

From Ian:

Noah Rothman: In Israel, the Grimly Familiar and the Utterly Shocking
An ominously familiar scene unfolded on Tuesday night in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak—one that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said was indicative of “a new wave of terrorism” washing over the country.

Gruesome video of that event showed an attacker, dressed all in black, firing an M16 assault rifle indiscriminately at passersby. The attacker shot and killed four, including a police officer, before he was neutralized. The gunman was later identified as a 27-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank. While no terrorist organization has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, several militant groups—including Hamas—welcomed this act of barbarism.

Another grimly familiar spectacle occurred shortly thereafter in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. As news of the bloodshed spread inside Gaza, images of militants handing out celebratory sweets to locals flooded social media. It was all evocative of the painful and persistent violence that has colored so much of the region’s history, and it may presage even more terrible events yet to come. This mass shooting was the fifth in a recent series of terrorist acts that have so far taken 11 lives inside Israel. That’s more violent death than Israel has experienced outside wartime in years.

“After a period of quiet, there is a violent eruption by those who want to destroy us, those who want to hurt us at any price,” Bennett said in a recorded address. “They are prepared to die so that we will not live in peace.” It’s enough to leave observers with a terrible sense of déjà vu. Yet, a sense that the bad old days might be back is belied by the truly unfamiliar—indeed, seminal—circumstances that likely contributed to this spate of violence.

The backdrop against which these attacks were set is the full flowering of Israel’s emergence on its regional stage as a key power—not just militarily but diplomatically, too. This week, the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, traveled to a resort in the Negev desert in Israel for a formal diplomatic summit. There, the representatives of these Arab nations coordinated with the Jewish state’s head of diplomatic affairs on issues ranging from the extraordinary to the mundane.
What's Behind the Spate of Terror Attacks in Israel?
On the face of it, the attacks are unconnected: a Bedouin from the Negev with nationalist leanings; two extreme Islamist Israeli Arabs connected to ISIS; and a Palestinian terrorist from the West Bank. In fact, there is a close and direct connection of atmosphere, encouragement and unceasing incitement on the part of terrorist organizations and political leaders, while several conditions for such an outbreak of terror have emerged.

The security forces are wont to describe the territories as a "bubbling cauldron", for economic, political, and other reasons, on which the lid is kept tight shut by various means, partly military, but mostly economic. The moderating effect of an economy that is in a reasonable state and is developing is huge, and prevents a popular uprising like the two intifadas. Effective security measures help to thwart most terrorist attacks, which are almost all stopped at the planning stage in the terrorists' homes.

The relative quiet has, however, perhaps led to a degree of lassitude and an exaggerated sense of security. We live in a hostile environment in which the desire to annihilate Israel is alive and kicking, and the bubbling cauldron spills over now and then. The consequences of successful attacks are far-reaching. Israel looks more and more vulnerable, the Israel Security Agency and the security forces are seen to have failed, and the video clips and security camera footage showing terrorists opening fire in the heart of Israeli cities are a highly effective catalyst. Israel looks vulnerable and weak. As one assessment from a security source described it in a closed discussion: "They smell blood. Suddenly, strong Israel is taking blows, and the attacks manage to inflict pain, and even more, to have a victory effect through clips of the attacks on social networks that go viral very fast." The influence of the video clips and the praise expressed in them for the "heroes" represent extremely strong encouragement.
Jonathan Tobin: Don’t reward Palestinians for a new wave of terror
After a week of terror attacks that took the lives of 11 people, Israelis are wondering whether they are on the brink of a third intifada. The Jewish state’s security forces are redoubling their efforts to try to anticipate or prevent further such atrocities. But the Israeli government needs to worry about more than just whether these seemingly random accounts will lead to more violence from Hamas or elements linked to the Palestinian Authority. It also has to be concerned about whether its sole superpower ally and other Western countries will use these tragedies as an excuse to revive failed policies of the past, whose goal is to pressure Israel into making concessions to the Palestinians.

Throughout much of the last 30 years, that was the pattern of events. But instead of taking an honest look at Palestinian political culture, which not only lauds terrorism but views violence as a legitimate and necessary expression of national identity, the West consistently treated acts of murder as a cry for help from the disadvantaged.

Such thinking was the product of a fundamental mistake about the nature of the conflict. Rather than Palestinian violence being caused by alleged Israeli oppression or the lack of progress towards peace, it was instead an expression of a long-held belief in the illegitimacy of a Jewish state and the need for action to eliminate it.

Given repeated Palestinian Arab refusals of offers of compromise on even the most advantageous terms dating back to the pre-state era, that much should have been obvious. The support for terror even on the part of so-called Palestinian moderates, who have continued to subsidize and applaud acts of terror against Jews, had to be ignored. The foolishness of a policy that responded to terror waves with diplomatic pressure on Israel essentially rewarded Palestinians for violence.

So if the events of the last week are the harbinger of more attacks inside Israel, the question is whether President Joe Biden’s foreign-policy team will respond to them by doing the same thing every past administration—with the sole exception being the government led by former President Donald Trump—did whenever terror attacks surged and announce a renewed emphasis on reviving peace negotiations. If they do, they should not expect the results to be any different from what happened in the past. Instead of, as they claim, undermining the rationale for terror against Israel, it will send a message to the Palestinians that violence is the way to garner more support for their futile century-old war on Zionism and the Jewish presence in the territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River.


'Terrorism doesn't discriminate between Israeli Jews, Arabs' - Yoseph Haddad
Israeli Jews and Arabs needed to work together to fight terrorism as part of a broader effort to integrate and develop the Arab sector in Israeli society, Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad said at The Jerusalem Post London Conference on Thursday.

“Terrorism doesn’t discriminate between Jews and Arabs that live in Israel. If you are an Israeli it doesn’t matter if you are Jew or Arab – you are a target for terrorism, and that’s why we need to fight it together,” said Haddad, who fought against Hezbollah in the Second Lebanon War as a soldier in the IDF’s Golani brigade.

Haddad praised Amir Khoury as an exemplar of that joint fight. Khoury, an Arab-Israeli policeman, managed to stop Tuesday’s deadly Bnei Brak attack but succumbed to wounds inflicted on him during the gun battle, becoming the terrorist’s fifth fatal victim.

“His funeral is happening right now in Nazareth, where I come from,” said Haddad.

The activist called for the establishment of a special police unit to tackle violence in Arab-Israeli society, and demanded harsher punishment to stop what he called an “extreme minority.”

“It’s not logical for a person to stab someone and then get one year in prison and go do community service,” Haddad said. “If you hold an illegal weapon, you should get five years in prison. If you punish, you need to make people afraid.

“We saw that some of the terrorists [in the recent attacks] were in prison but got released,” he continued. “Why did these ISIS terrorists get out of prison?”


Headlines with the Haddads - Ukraine, Bahrain, and Middle East Peace

The Caroline Glick show Ep45 – Israeli Arab Terrorists and Blinken’s Betrayal in the Negev
The past week in Israel saw two acts of terrorism by Israeli Arab citizens and the Negev Summit where Anthony Blinken transformed the Abraham Accords from an Israeli-Sunni strategic alliance against Iran into a US-Sunni political alliance against Israel. Quite a week. Caroline was reunited with Gadi Taub to analyze what has happened and what it means for Israel and for the world! Watch, listen, subscribe and share!


Operation 'Wave Breaker:' IDF aims to stem rising tide of terrorism
The joint operation by Israeli security forces to stem the rising tide of terrorist attacks has been dubbed 'Break the Wave' hours after IDF troops exchanged gunfire with terrorists in Jenin and a stabbing attack occurred on a bus in Gush Etzion on Thursday.

Jenin Clashes
One IDF soldier was lightly injured and three Palestinian gunmen were reportedly killed in an exchange of gunfire with Palestinian gunmen in Jenin Thursday morning. The wounded IDF soldier was taken to a hospital to receive medical treatment.

IDF and Border Police had entered the city to arrest suspects in connection to the Bnei Brak terror attack and three Palestinians were killed, Israeli media reported.

At the same time, IDF soldiers arrested three suspects in Yabed on suspicion of involvement in the attack. They also seized multiple weapons.
With Every Murder, Palestinians Destroy Their Future
Israel has now faced three terrorist attacks over the past week. There have been at least eleven murders. Today’s attacks happened in the suburbs of Ramat Gan and B’nei Brak, both well inside the ’67 boundaries. This isn’t about “occupied territories.” This isn’t some ginned-up Fatah claim regarding the Temple Mount. It’s old-fashioned random terror, meant, I guess, to scare Jews out of the Middle East. It’s the same as it was in 1950s, when fedayeen would sneak into Israel and murder civilians (before any “occupied territories” existed); same as it when Arafat formed the PLO (also before 1967) and started terrorizing the air; same as it was when Fatah refused to make peace in 2001 and launched the bloody Intifada; and same as it was when Arab nationalist violence evolved into Islamist violence and missiles began raining down missiles on southern Israel.

Even as Sunni Arab nations make peace, open trade, and enter security arrangements with Israel, Palestinians refuse to lift themselves from the destitution of their own creation. The government of Gaza, given autonomy by Israel in 2005, will extol the killers. If the murderer, brainwashed by a lifetime of state-sponsored hate, hails from the West Bank, the PA will pay his family a bounty (using, in part, American tax dollars). Many Palestinians will hand out candy and celebrate the murders. They always do. And later today, some Brookings type will take to Twitter, condemn the murders, and then stress the importance of a two-state solution. But no rational people would hand a new country — or share a city or bestow a “right to return” — to those who might randomly murder them or launch missiles at their schools. And yet, Palestinians continue, for more than a century now, to engage in this self-destructive strategy.
Biden to Bennett: ‘US Stands Firmly and Resolutely With Israel in the Face of Terror Threat’
US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday night to convey America’s support amid the deadly wave of terror attacks the country is currently experiencing.

Biden conveyed to Bennett “his deepest condolences following the horrific terrorist attacks that have killed 11 people in three Israeli cities,” according to the White House.

He “emphasized that the United States stands firmly and resolutely with Israel in the face of this terrorist threat and all threats to the state of Israel.”

Bennett thanked Biden for standing with the people of Israel and for conveying his sympathies to the bereaved families, according to a statement from Bennett’s office.

While the statement from Bennett’s office said the two leaders had discussed “Iran and its regional aggression,” the White House statement made no mention of Iran.

Instead, it said the leaders had discussed “the importance of regional partnerships, as exemplified by the Abraham Accords and the Negev Summit, in promoting security and improving the lives of people across the Middle East. The President offered all appropriate assistance to our Israeli allies as they confront threats to their citizens.”
PM tells licensed Israeli owners to carry their guns amid ‘murderous terror wave’
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday called on licensed Israeli gun owners to arm themselves in public as he detailed various measures being taken in the wake of three deadly terror attacks over the past week.

“Citizens of Israel, we are currently experiencing a wave of murderous terrorism,” Bennett said in a video statement.

“What is expected of you, citizens of Israel? Alertness and responsibility. Open your eyes. Whoever has a license to carry a weapon, this is the time to carry it,” he said.

On Tuesday, a Palestinian terrorist killed five people in Bnei Brak. Earlier attacks in Hadera, on Sunday, and Beersheba, last Tuesday, killed six Israelis. The spate of violence marked Israel’s highest toll in terror attacks in such a short time since 2006.

Bennett said the Israel Defense Forces and wider security establishment have taken immediate steps to improve intelligence for preventing the next attack.

“The IDF, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police have significantly increased their intelligence operations in order to reach, in a timely manner, those who are planning to carry out attacks,” he said. “We have also reinforced the presence throughout the country of those in uniform and those carrying weapons.”


New synagogue guidelines call for weapons, cellphones on Shabbat following deadly attacks
The World Organization of Orthodox Communities and Synagogues on Wednesday has called for synagogues to prepare for the possibility of an attack. Among its recommendations: Worshippers should arrive at services armed, and a cellphone should be left on in the building during Shabbat prayers.

In guidelines issued Wednesday following a string of deadly attacks, the organizations called on the gabbais; or beadles, who assist in running the synagogue; community leaders; and worshippers to remain vigilant at prayer time and for gun owners to carry their weapons with them when arriving at the synagogue for prayer, including on Shabbat.

"The synagogue gabbai must ensure a first-aid kit is permanently stationed at the synagogue. Likewise, community heads must locate the professionals trained to provide first aid so that they are on alert and able to handle the provision of care to victims when necessary. They must ensure the synagogue has organized emergency exits and inform worshippers of the exit route and how to escape in an emergency," the organization said.

"These guidelines are the endeavors we are committed to in accordance with Halacha and together with prayers to our Father in Heaven. We call on synagogues to petition in prayers and supplications to the Holy One Blessed is He to say enough to our troubles. We call for proliferation in Torah study and the reading of psalms for the sake of the souls of the victims and the healing of the wounded. Additionally, there should be prayers for the welfare of IDF soldiers and members of the security forces who are on the frontlines for all of Israel's citizens," the organization said.
Report: 5 ‘Significant’ Warnings of Planned Terror Attacks in Israel
Israel’s security establishment is dealing with five “significant” warnings of planned terrorist attacks inside the country, Channel 12 reported Wednesday night.

The Jewish state has already experienced three attacks in the past week that has left 11 people dead, including a shooting rampage in the central city of Bnei Brak Tuesday night that killed five.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday ordered 1,000 troops to reinforce police in the West Bank and in Israeli cities.

Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement calling on all citizens with permits to carry firearms.

“Whoever has a gun license, now is the time to carry the gun,” Bennett said.

The premier also said that Israel Defense Forces soldiers would return from their bases armed. “From now on, regular, permanent, and reserve soldiers, from the ranks of riflemen 03 and up, will go home from the bases with their weapons.”

According to Israeli media reports, the terrorist who carried out the attack in Bnei Barak entered Israel by driving through a gap in the West Bank security barrier.
Israeli Bus Passenger Wounded in West Bank Terror Stabbing
A Palestinian stabbed a passenger on an Israeli bus in the West Bank and was shot dead by another passenger, the Israeli military said.

The national ambulance service said the man who was stabbed had suffered moderate wounds.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces killed at least two Palestinians in clashes that erupted during a raid in the West Bank that followed deadly Arab attacks in Israel.

The Israeli military said its forces and border police entered the refugee camp in the city of Jenin to “apprehend terrorist suspects.”

“During the operation, terrorists opened fire at our forces. Israeli troops returned fire that struck the gunmen. An Israeli soldier was slightly wounded,” the military said in a statement.

The Palestinian health ministry said two Palestinians, aged 17 and 23, were killed in the clashes.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that “continued raids and daily killings of our people and the daily crimes by settlers will lead the region towards more tension and escalation.”
Family, fellow police mourn ‘hero’ cop killed while taking out Bnei Brak terrorist
On Sunday, Amir Khoury sat at home with his fiancée Shani Yashar as news of a terror attack in Hadera, in which two police officers were killed, began to filter in. Khoury, a cop himself, turned to Shani and assured her that he would not be victim to the same fate.

“If I see a terrorist in front of my eyes, I’m going to crush him. I’m not going to let anyone get hurt, that’s why I’m a cop,” she recalled him telling her, as she pleaded with him to “not be a hero.”

Three days later, Yashar climbed the stairs to the home of her beloved’s parents, sobbing along with them as they tried to grasp the enormity of his death.

In the end, he had been a hero, and paid with his life.

Khoury was shot and killed Tuesday night as he arrived on the scene of a terror attack in Bnei Brak, helping take out terrorist Diaa Hamarsheh, 27, and prevent him from continuing his rampage of death and destruction through the Tel Aviv suburb.

“He was like that, always the first when something goes down,” his father Jeries Khoury, a former police officer, said Wednesday. “He had no fear.”

Khoury, 32, was stationed in Bnei Brak as a motorcycle cop. He and a partner were the first to reach Hamarsheh during the attack, who had already killed four people at two different locations.

“He was a hero, the way he and the other officer acted saved lives,” Tel Aviv police commander Amihai Eshed told the crying family as a camera from Channel 12 news filmed.


Efrat High School Interrupts Annual Trip to Visit Family of Murdered Druze Officer
A group of students from the Derech Avot High School of Ohr Torah Stone educational network in Efrat decided to deviate from their previously scheduled itinerary on a yearly outing to make a condolence visit to the home of Yazan Falah, the Druze Border Guard officer killed in the terror attack in Hadera earlier this week,

As the group of tenth graders was heading north for the annual rite of passage to tour the land, they approached the village of Kisra-Sumei where Falah had lived, and decided that they wanted to pay respects to the family. While, initially, the idea was to send just a few student representatives into the home, as they got closer all 80 boys expressed interest in being part of the visit.

The school’s principal Yoni Hollander quickly agreed and soon thereafter they were greeted warmly by the Falah family. “As Jews, our presence here in this land has always been alongside others and we have a particular bond in modern times with the Druze people,” Hollander said. “Sadly this is a bond too often written in blood, but our joint prayer is that it will soon become one of peace.”

Yazan’s uncle Amal Falach addressed the students in the courtyard of the family home saying, “There is no doubt that through mourning we are more united and we are all partners in this national pain. Our hearts are broken and I am sure that your students are now feeling a part of that pain. The fact that you chose to divert from your planned trip and insisted on coming to mourn and strengthen us is not something anyone could take for granted. Moreover, it proves how in your youth you already feel this sense of unity and empathy that exists between us. We all live in the same place, the same state and we have nowhere else to go. We have no other country and we are all destined for that same fate as partners in life.”


‘Khoury, watch out!’ Police body cam footage shows shootout with Bnei Brak terrorist
Police on Wednesday released body camera footage of the shootout between officers and the Palestinian terrorist who carried out a deadly terror attack in the city of Bnei Brak the previous day.

The footage shows two officers speeding down city streets at night on a police motorcycle, pistol in hand, toward the scene of the attack as a dispatcher gives them the location.

The terrorist, identified later as Diaa Hamarsheh, 27, from the West Bank village of Yabad, near Jenin, is heard shooting as the officers slow the vehicle and turn off the street.

The officer on the back of the motorcycle, who was wearing the camera, addresses his partner, Amir Khoury, saying “Khoury, watch out!” Moments later, a gunshot rings out. The officer wearing the camera falls to the pavement, stands back up, and begins firing at the terrorist from behind a tree.

He fires over a dozen shots down the residential street as sirens wail in the distance. The terrorist is then seen crumpled on the ground.

The officer takes away the terrorist’s rifle, and shouts out, “Quiet, quiet. He’s dead.”

“He’s down, he’s down, search the area,” the officer is heard saying a few seconds later, as another officer walks by.


NBA’s Deni Avdija Writes ‘Am Israel Chai’ on Sneakers in Solidarity With Israel After Terrorist Attacks
Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija drew in Hebrew the words “Am Yisrael Chai” (“Long Live Israel”) and Stars of David on his sneakers at a game this week to express solidarity with his home country following a series of terror attacks in Israel.

The Israeli-Serbian NBA player wore the shoes at a home game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

“My heart is with Israel. I am very sad to hear about what is happening in Israel,” Avdija told reporters, according to Israel Hayom. “There are things that are bigger than basketball and with how much I try to represent us in the NBA, it is difficult for me.”

“My friends and family are in Israel, I watch the news almost every day, I watch Israeli TV,” the second-year player continued. “My heart goes out to the families and to the people of Israel, let’s hope it ends as soon as possible. I will not get into politics, but I am sending a hug and love. It’s hard to watch.”

Last year, Avdija commemorated Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day by wearing game-day sneakers bearing the Hebrew word “Yizkor,” meaning “remember.”


Michael Oren: Terror Against Israel Is Working Because NYT Sugarcoats It
Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren slammed the New York Times and other mainstream media outlets Wednesday for “sugarcoating” Palestinian terrorism and pinning the blame for the recent terror attacks on Israel for “overlooking” the Palestinian issue.

In its coverage of a historic summit in the Negev desert attended by four Arab foreign ministers as well as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the Times chastized Israel for the absence of the Palestinian leadership from the discussion.

The summit took place the day after a shooting attack that killed two Border Police officers and six days after another attack that saw four Israeli civilians killed.

While top diplomats from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco all remarked that such a summit was the answer to terror, the Times and other outlets devoted multiple column inches to how the Palestinians were kept away, thereby emboldening terrorists.

“The New York Times and other Western media claimed that the spate of murderous terrorist attacks against Israelis is proof that the Palestinian issue cannot be overlooked,” Oren told Breitbart.

“In fact, all the attacks were carried out by Jihadists who reject any peace with Israel and are sworn to destroy it. Those same terrorists aim to kill moderate Arabs and Americans alike,” he added.

“Terror only works when papers like the Times try to sugarcoat it,” Oren concluded.
As Israelis are Being Murdered, Why Are Progressive Jewish Groups Staying Silent?
I want to give Jewish groups who haven’t said a word about the terror wave hitting Israel the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re still meeting to craft the right statement to condemn the wanton murder of Israelis at the hands of Arab-Muslim terrorists.

If so, I hope they hurry, because the optics are terrible.

I’ve searched the websites of groups that routinely claim to follow “Jewish values”—such as New Israel Fund (NIF), T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and Americans for Peace Now (APN)– and I still haven’t found a statement about the terror attacks.

Is staying alive not a Jewish value?

Needless to say, I did see plenty of criticism of Israel for not meeting democratic ideals. Among its many initiatives, the NIF, whose slogan is “Take a stand for a better Israel,” is “mapping gender inequality in the civil society sector in Israel.” The group’s stated aim is “to advance liberal democracy, including freedom of speech and minority rights, and to fight the inequality, injustice and extremism that diminish Israel.”

Does extremist violence not diminish Israel?

T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, aims to “bring together rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism, together with all members of the Jewish community, to act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people.”

Is freedom from wanton murder not a human right?

APN’s mission is “to educate and persuade the American public and its leadership to support and adopt policies that will lead to comprehensive, durable, Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace, based on a two-state solution, guaranteeing both peoples’ security, and consistent with U.S. national interests.”

Does terrorism inside Israel not get in the way of that mission?


MEMRI: Palestinian Fatah Movement Glorifies Bnei Brak Terror Attack
The March 29, 2022 shooting in the city of Bnei Brak in central Israel, which was perpetrated by Diaa Hamarsha (26), a Palestinian from the town of Ya'abad near Jenin in the West Bank, was met with celebrations and with expressions of praise in the Palestinian Authority, especially in the Jenin area. Although Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud 'Abbas condemned the attack,[1] in which five Israelis were killed, other elements in the Fatah movement, which 'Abbas heads, condoned the attack and its perpetrator.

When news of the attack and the identity of the attacker became known, celebrations broke out in the Jenin area and in particular in Ya'abad itself. Processions were held and locals handed out sweets, and a Fatah rally was held near the home of the shooter, who was apparently a member of this movement,[2] at which statements and slogans praising the attack were heard.

In addition, Fatah and its military branch, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, issued statements and posters glorifying the attack and the shooter. Fatah's local branch in Jenin province, for example, congratulated the "heroic martyr," and spokespeople for Fatah and its military wing promised that the intifada and the martyrdom operations would continue.

This report reviews the expressions of praise for the attack and its perpetrator.

Locals In Jenin Province Rejoice Over The Attack, Chant "Millions Of Martyrs Are Marching To Jerusalem"

After news of the Bnei Brak shooting broke and the identity of the attacker became known, locals in his town of Ya'abad and in the Jenin area took to the streets to celebrate. According to an Al-Quds reporter in Jenin, "large-scale processions were held in the city, in the refugee camp [adjacent to it] and in the town of Ya'abad to express pride in the martyr Diaa Hamarsha, who carried out the operation in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv." The reporter also noted that "sweets were handed out during the processions to celebrate the operation."[3]

Videos of the celebrations were posted on social media, including a video of a Fatah rally near the attacker's home, where the organization's secretary-general in Jenin, 'Atta Abu Ramila, praised the "hero" Hamarsha and participants chanted "with spirit and blood we shall redeem you, O Palestine."[4] Other videos showed people marching and handing out sweets, and calling out slogans in praise of armed resistance, such as "millions of martyrs are marching to Jerusalem."[5]




"Repentant Father of Bnei Brak Terrorist Recants, Now Praises his Son the Martyr"
The father of the terrorist in Bnei Brak can’t seem to decide how he feels about his son murdering 5 people.

Immediately following the crime, the father couldn’t be more regretful about his son’s actions. But a day later, he took it all back and praised his little killer.

This was Diaa Hamarsha’s father’s initial reaction, as recorded by Kan 11 reporter Nurit Yohanan: “If I had seen a preliminary sign that he would carry out an attack – I would not have let him leave the house. I would not have let him think in this direction of an attack if I knew, no one wants his son to die. We are people who love life, and want other people to live.”

Hamarsha Sr. also said he had last seen his son, who works with him in the village and lives with him at home, Tuesday at noon.

Referring to the fact that his son had served a prison term, the father said this had happened a long time ago when the lad was only 17, and that he had been arrested not for acts he had done but for what could have happened, and that since he was released from prison he was committed to his work.

But wow, look at what could have happened.

In 2011, young Hamarsheh planned to commit a suicide bombing and established contact with officials from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad to carry it out.
Outcry After Umm al-Fahm Municipality Sends Condolences to Families of Hadera Terrorists
Controversy erupted in Israel on Thursday after the municipality of the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm extended condolences to the families of the terrorists killed after murdering two Border Police officers in the city of Hadera last week.

Israeli news site N12 reported that the death of the terrorists — Ayman and Ibrahim Agbaria, two Islamic State-sympathizers from Umm al-Fahm — prompted a statement from the municipality signed by Mayor Samir Sobhi Mahamed telling their families, “We take part in your sorrow and extend sincere condolences from the depth of the heart, may God have mercy on them.”

After the statement was issued, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked ordered the ministry’s Director-General Yair Hirsch to contact Mahamed and request that the statement be removed from social media, which it subsequently was.

“It is unthinkable that a municipality in the State of Israel will send condolences to the families of terrorists,” the ministry said. “This is a terrible and disgraceful post and it’s good it has been erased.”

“The interior minister will continue to show zero tolerance for support for terror on social media networks and in general,” it added.

In an interview with N12, Mahamed disavowed the statement, saying, “The post went up on the Facebook page without my authorization and without my knowledge.”


BBC double standards on reporting terrorism continue
BBC coverage of the March 29th terror attack in Bnei Brak included an item in the evening edition of the BBC World Service radio programme ‘Newshour’ (from 38:11 here).
“Also in the programme: a shooting in Israel is reported to have killed at least four people…”

Listeners to BBC Radio 4’s ‘The World Tonight’ heard reports from the BBC Jerusalem bureau’s Yolande Knell in a news bulletin (from 04:28 here) and a later item (from 26:52 here).

The sole mention of the word terror in all those items came from the Israeli journalist interviewed by ‘Newshour’.

The BBC News website published a report on the evening of March 29th which was amended several times in the hours that followed as new details came to light.

The fifth version of that report – published on the morning after the attack – was headlined “Five killed in latest deadly attack in Israel” and, like the two subsequently published versions, it opened:
“Five people have been shot dead by a Palestinian gunman in a suburb of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, in the third deadly attack of its kind in a week.”

The phrase “of its kind” obviously does not relate to the location (the previous two attacks were not in the Tel Aviv area), the means of attack (the first incident was a combined stabbing and vehicular attack) or the identity of the perpetrator (the terrorists in the first two attacks were not “Palestinian”). Rather, that phrase actually means that three terror attacks have taken place in a week but – as usual and as it did in its reports on the incidents in Be’er Sheva and Hadera – the BBC avoids using that term to describe the politically motivated murders of Israelis.
After AP Story, Bnei Brak Slaughter Kills Palestine-Ukraine Analogy
One needn’t look further than the crumpled bodies of Sorokopot and Mikrit to grasp the vacuity of the Palestine-Ukraine analogy is: two peaceful Ukrainians civilians murdered as they enjoyed a quiet moment in central Israel. Their murderer, Diaa Harshemeh, has nothing at all in common with Ukrainians resisting Russian invasion and destruction of their homes.

Indeed, while Sorokopot’s and Mikrit’s countrymen in Ukraine are repelling the Russian troops who are attacking their home cities, Harshemeh’s countrymen are celebrating his victims’ murders.

The Jerusalem Post‘s Seth Frantzman reflected on the significance of Palestinian celebrations of the “heroic operation,” including the murder of two foreigners whose only connection to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was their residence and work in Israel:
There is no other place in the world and no other cause that has this kind of celebration related to mass killing and passing it off as “heroic.” …

One can’t accurately call this conflict. A conflict is between two groups or states. A conflict in which a man gets up in the morning and sets off and shoots people who he has decided are sub-human, but who are in fact a diverse swath of people killed at random because they are in a state he doesn’t like; goes beyond the concept of “conflict.” …

When it became known that two Ukrainians were victims of the hate crime attack, one woman posted the photos of the victim and called it a “heroic operation.” A man replied that “no one is safe in Palestine, they will have to go back where they came from.” They post smiling faces as comments. They even laugh at the deaths. They post images of clapping and write “wherever you are, death will catch you.”

Now that Palestinians have celebrated the murder of Ukrainian foreign workers slaughtered for the crime of their presence in Israel, will AP publish a lengthy article dedicated to examining how Palestinian claims of similarity to Ukraine’s situation are baseless?

To borrow the language of Palestinian foreign minister Riad Malki: Amazing hypocrisy, indeed.


Paterson, New Jersey's tone deaf City Council Resolution
During a week when the blood of 11 innocent Israelis flowed in the streets the Paterson New Jersey City Council has voted to change the name of part of its Main Street to "Palestine Boulevard"

The tone-deaf resolution was sponsored by Paterson Councilman Alaa Abdelaziz, Council President Maritza Davila and co-sponsored by Ruby N. Cotton.
Paterson has so many Palestinian residents that it is often referred to as "Little Palestine".

Sadly, this is not the first time a street has been renamed following a Palestinian terror attack
Ben Gvir Ascended the Temple Mount and Guess What – Nothing Happened
Otzma Yehudit Chairman MK Itamar Ben Gvir ascended the Temple Mount Thursday morning accompanied by police. Meanwhile, the police kept all the other Jews waiting at the entrance until Ben Gvir was done. There was great fear of a Hamas attempt to disrupt the visit with violence.

On Wednesday night, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum issued a warning to Ben Gvir “against approaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the group’s PC name for what Muslims have named for centuries “Bait al-Maqdis,” literally “The Temple.” Barhoum also warned: “We place responsibility on the Zionist occupation for the impact and consequences of this dangerous, provocative move.”

They care so much.

In response to a question from News 12, MK Ben Gvir said that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett did not try to prevent him from ascending. “I am the landlord of the State of Israel,” the MK told the cameras. To qualify: he didn’t mean that he, alone, was the landlord (Ba’al Ha’Bait) – all the Jews are.

Walking around the holiest Jewish site in the world, Ben Gvir sent a quaint message to the Hamas spokesman: “I suggest you shut your mouth.”


Israeli Curriculum Continues to Spread in Jerusalem's Arab Sector
After five-and-a-half decades of the single rule of the Palestinian curriculum, the Israeli program and the Israeli matriculation are gaining a foothold in Jerusalem's Arab sector.

The construction of new schools have greatly helped to encourage the transition, with 32 new educational institutions established in the last six years in eastern Jerusalem at a standard similar to every new school in Israel.

In September 2021, 13,000 Arab students studied according to the Israeli program, compared to 5,000 five years ago - a jump of 160%.

Young interviewees said the change in outlook was due to the realization that employment prospects were limited in the Palestinian market, so it was preferable to pursue integration into the Israeli market.
"Exposé: Arab Meretz Minister Served for 12 Years as Hamas Association’s Accountant"
On Tuesday, Israeli media revealed that the Jordanian Waqf, which runs things on the Temple mount since the sacred place was liberated in June 1967, has been running a Hamas-affiliated association on the Temple Mount for the past 30 years, give or take. The association’s chairman who is authorized to sign the checks is Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, the combative Mufti of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and a senior Waqf figure.

On Thursday, Hakol Hayehudi added a mind-boggling bonus: Minister for Regional Cooperation Issawi Frej (Meretz) served for some 12 years as the accountant for the same Hamas-affiliated association. Frej started studying in 1982 at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem to become an accredited accountant and has initiated the forum to encourage business initiatives by Arabs and Jews .

An indictment was filed against the Hamas association in mid-March, but the Israeli authorities have concealed its ties to the Waqf and refrained from prosecuting senior members of the association. But events this week have suggested that the Bennett government is cognizant of the Hamas-Waqf connection. The indictment attributes to the organization 15 years of activity in the service of Hamas, funneling about NIS 28 million ($9 million) to the terrorist organization (in reality, the association was founded as far back as 1992, but there may be a statute of limitation issues regarding the span of the indictment – DI).

According to the indictment that was filed in the Jerusalem District Court, Khaled Sabah, the Al-Quds Zakat Committee’s director-general for the past 25 years, and his two sons Munib and Musab carried out terrorist activities on behalf of Hamas. The Al-Quds Zakat Committee is also cited by the indictment as a legal entity, as well as a man named Firas Tutach who funneled millions of dollars for the organization from sources in Turkey.
PMW: Proud kids tell their murderer relatives they are heroes – PA kids’ values
One of the public services official PA TV undertakes is constituting a platform for relatives of imprisoned terrorists to communicate with their terrorist relatives and send them video greetings. This is also an opportunity for the PA to reinforce their message to the Palestinian public that murderers of Israelis are heroes.

Exemplifying the PA’s children’s education – which teaches kids that terrorists and murderers are role models – a nephew of imprisoned terrorist Mahmoud Abu Kharabish, who participated in the murder of a mother and her three children, greeted him as “a hero of Palestine” on PA TV:
Muhammad Ahmed Abu Kharabish: “Hello, I am Muhammad Ahmed Abu Kharabish, the nephew of the heroic prisoner and most veteran of the Jericho prisoners Mahmoud Abu Kharabish. I want to tell my uncle that Allah will release you and all the male and female prisoners... I want to tell you that you are one of the heroes of Palestine, the heroes of Jericho, you and Jum’a Adam (i.e., terrorist accomplice of Abu Kharabish).”

[Official PA TV, Giants of Endurance, March 17, 2022]

The nephew of another murderer shares this view, thinking his imprisoned murderer uncle is “an extraordinary hero” according to his mother. The sister of terrorist prisoner Mahmoud Abu Jneid, who was involved in the murder of 2, explained on PA TV that her son wants to “buy a rifle” to set his murderer uncle free and “take him back to Jaffa and Jerusalem”:


We’ll continue terror - “struggle with all means” - Fatah official

PA TV host recites inciting poem

PA TV song: “We wrote with fire and blood, Fatah’s bullets mobilized, we kept [the gun] loaded”



"IDF Forces Raid Jenin Refugee Camp, Bnei Brak Murderer's Village, 3 Arabs Dead"
Three PA Arabs, one of them 17-years-old, were killed in clashes with IDF soldiers Thursday morning in the Jenin refugee camp, according to WAFA and PA Arab social media. A fighter from the Duvdevan special force was slightly injured in the raid that took place in broad daylight.

According to the PA health ministry, 15 people were injured in the incursion, 14 of them shot by live bullets, with three reported to be critical and one moderate to critical. Videos from the clashes on Arab social media show an exchange of fire and soldiers arresting an Arab man.

According to WAFA, a large Israeli army force raided Jenin Thursday morning, 24 hours after a resident of the village of Ya’abad, near Jenin, had shot and killed five Israelis in Bnai Brak.

Witnesses said residents clashed with the raiding forces, which opened live fire and shot teargas, killing two and injuring the others, who were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Soldiers also raided the town of Ya’abad, specifically the home of the Bnai Brak terrorist. One Arab was detained in Ya’abad.




 

 

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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 19 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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