‘They Want To Turn Israel Into Palestine.’ PM Says After Arab Nation-State Law Protest
A week after the Druze community and supporters of the Druze gathered in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to protest the Nation-State Law, the same plaza outside city hall turned red, green, black and white on Saturday night (11th) as thousands of Israeli Arabs turned out to demonstrate against the law, waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “In spirit and in blood we will redeem Palestine.”
The title of Saturday night’s (11th) protest was “The Nation-State Law will be overturned – yes to equality.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted footage of the protest and wrote: “There is no greater testimony that the Nation-State Law was necessary. We will continue to fly the Israeli flag proudly and sing Hatikvah ‘with great pride.’
Speaking ahead of the weekly meeting of the coalition faction heads Sunday (12th) Netanyahu said, “last night we were given clear proof of the defiance against the very existence of the State of Israel, Which is why the Nation-State Law is necessary.”
“We’ve seen how the Palestinian flag was flying in the heart of Tel Aviv. We heard the calls to ‘redeem Palestine in spirit and blood.’ Many protesters want to repeal the Law of Return, do away with our flag and our anthem – they want to do away with Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and turn it into an Israeli-Palestinian state.
“This,” Netanyahu stressed, “is exactly why we enacted the Nation-State Law.”
(israelhayom.com)
The Irony Of Using The Palestinian Flag To Protest Israel’s Nation-State Law – Ryan Jones
Those opposed to Israel’s new Nation-State Law were at it again on Saturday (11th), gathering in Tel Aviv to protest what they insist is a “racist” piece of legislation.
When the Druze community demonstrated against the law last week, they waved both Druze and Israeli flags, and profusely confessed their dying love for and loyalty to the State of Israel.
Saturday’s (11th) demonstration was different. Led by a large Arab contingent, the event was marked by a large number of Palestinian flags, and very few Israeli ones.
This aspect of the rally was rather ironic.
What those waving the Palestinian flags seem to forget is that the Palestinian Authority already long ago passed its version of the Nation-State Law, and that piece of legislation is about as racist and religiously discriminatory as they come.
The Palestinian Authority law in question defines a future Palestinian state as wholly Arab in identity, with no other official language than Arabic and no other religion besides Islam.
What of the Jews, Samaritans or any other ethnic minority that might continue to live in that Palestinian State? What of the dwindling Christian community? And why did the world not rise up in protest on their behalf when the PA passed this law?
What is certain is that Israel is, once again, being subjected to a gross double standard when it come to protecting its national identity.
(israeltoday.co.il)
Security Cabinet Huddles Over Gaza Strip Violence, Ceasefire With Hamas
The top-level security cabinet met on Sunday (12th) to discuss the ongoing Gaza Strip violence and the military options available, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that Israel wants a full ceasefire and nothing less.
Netanyahu met with his senior ministers at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv. The meeting came as the status of an Egyptian and UN-brokered ceasefire, which Hamas rulers claim went into effect at the end of last week.
On Sunday evening (12th), a spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Services reported a significant drop in arson attacks with only one fire reported using an incendiary device.
Earlier Netanyahu warned Hamas that Israel will continue to operate against the terrorism stemming from Gaza, apparently confirming that no official ceasefire agreement had been reached with the terrorist group.
“We are in the midst of a campaign against terror in Gaza. It entails an exchange of blows; it will not end in one strike. Our demand is clear – a complete ceasefire. We will not suffice with less than this,” Netanyahu said at the opening of the weekly full cabinet meeting.
Senior Israeli officials maintain the country has not agreed to the ceasefire Hamas announced late Thursday (9th) and said went into effect at midnight.
The apparent truce came after two days of spiraling violence that saw the heaviest exchanges of fire between Israel and the Gaza terrorist organization since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge. During the flare-up Hamas fired over 150 rockets and mortars into southern Israel – Israel retaliated, hitting the same number of Hamas targets in Gaza.
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said earlier on Sunday (12th) that Israel would overthrow Hamas, as a report indicated that Israel was mulling assassinating the leaders of the terrorist group which seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007.
(timesofisrael.com; ynetnews.com)
Palestinian Authority Has Paid $294,332 To The Sbarro Bombers
Seventeen years after a suicide terrorist detonated his explosive vest in the Sbarro pizza shop in downtown Jerusalem, the perpetrators’ families continue to be rewarded with monthly payments from the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Media Watch reported.
The Sbarro attack left 15 dead, including seven children. Three of the children were siblings, and were killed together with their parents. A total of 130 civilians were injured in the attack.
The Sbarro terrorists are among those who the PA and Hamas insist on freeing in any peace agreement. The terrorist who made the Sbarro bomb, Abdallah Barghouti, has murdered a total of 67 people.
The family of suicide terrorist Izz al-Din Al-Masri has received $50,124 as a reward for his suicide bombing.
The terrorist who planned the attack and brought the bomber to Sbarro was Ahlam Tamimi. Tamimi was arrested in September 2001. For her time in prison she received from the PA $52,681.
The suicide belt was built by Hamas bomb-builder Abdallah Barghouti who was arrested in 2003, and received 15 life sentences for building the bomb used to murder the people in Sbarro. He has received salary payments from the PA of at least $191,526.
By September 2018, the PA will have cumulatively rewarded Barghouti, Tamimi, and the family of Al-Masri with at least $294,332.
(palwatch.org; israelnn.com)
Jewish Leaders Concerned By Rising Anti-Semitism In Germany
Several Jewish leaders from around the world have expressed strong concern following the release of new figures in Germany indicating a 10 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the country over the course of the first half of 2018 when compared with the same period in 2017.
The German Interior Ministry said in its annual crime statistics survey that police received reports of 1,453 anti-Semitic incidents in 2017 – four per day.
World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald Lauder noted that “the German government has demonstrated admirable commitment to combating anti-semitism, including the appointment of Ambassador Felix Klein as the first federal government commissioner working on behalf of the Jewish community.”
“Nevertheless, it is clear that concerted efforts are needed across the board to arrest the steady rise in violent incidents and harassment and ensure that German Jews continue to feel secure and valued as German citizens,” he said.
Some 349 out of 401 anti-semitic incidents recorded this year were reported as being perpetrated by those with far right-wing tendencies, while 80 such incidents occurred in Berlin.
Germany’s population of 82.8 million includes only about 200,000 Jews, with 40,000 living in Berlin.
In one of the latest attacks, an Israeli philosophy professor who teaches in the U.S. was assaulted in the German city of Bonn in July by a 20-year-old German with “Palestinian roots,” according to local media.
(worldisraelnews.com)