18 Adar II 5776
Monday, March 28 2016
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. . . BREAKING NEWS . . .
8:23 pm: Palestinian terrorist crashes his car into Israeli car near Beit Einun (beside Hevron). No Israelis wounded in bulldozer attack; terrorist escapes.
2:55 pm: Two terrorists affiliated with Islamic State captured in Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher prior to terror attack.
11:21 am: Police set up checkpoints throughout southern Tel Aviv based on intelligence information of a possible imminent terrorist threat.
UPDATES 9:00 am Israel time:
–>Palestinian terror yesterday.
*A woman was critically wounded by gunfire in Beit HaKerem in southwest Jerusalem. The police have not released any further information at this time.
*Palestinian “rock” and Molotov attacks occurred at Sinjil, Nehemiah, Al-Khader, Hizma, Ras Karkar, Geva, Yaron, Pisgat Ze’ev, Armon, Government House in Jerusalem, Wadi Joz, Shuafat, and many other places.
Israeli motorists were in this car which was hit by a “rock” (note floorboard) as it passed through a Jerusalem tunnel yesterday. Also note the smashed passenger side window (picture: Naor Cohen).
–>The saga of the Hevron soldier updated.
Demonstrations continued across the country last night in support of the soldier who shot and killed a wounded Palestinian terrorist last Thursday. Protests against the IDF General Command were held as far north as Nahariya and as far south as Eilat.
Are the demonstrations, petitions, and speeches having an effect? This morning, information has leaked out of the Military Prosecutor’s office that a murder charge against the soldier is being dropped and replaced with either a charge of “manslaughter” or “involuntary manslaughter.”
Even a lesser charge is outrageous; the soldier should be released from detention immediately. As we have stated repeatedly, there is every reason to believe that the soldier thought the terrorist was wearing a suicide vest and was about to detonate it.
–>Prosecution is recommended.
It appears that the two leading members of the left-wing Ta’ayush NGO, Ezra Nawi and Guy Butavia, may be indicted.
You may recall that last month Israeli TV aired an undercover documentary in which Nawi bragged about the fact that he regularly turns in Palestinians who sell land to Jews. Specifically, he hands their names over to the PLO which summarily torture and kill them. Nawi even went so far as to boast that he was personally responsible for some of their deaths.
This morning the crime division of the Judea-Samaria district police turned over the Nawi-Butavia case to the Attorney General’s office with the recommendation that they be prosecuted.
–>The Women of the Wall go one step too far.
Talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it too.
It has been flabbergasting over the course of the last month to see “The Women of the Wall” break the agreement that they fought so hard to get.
This picture of “The Women of the Wall” was taken on March 11–two weeks ago. Why would they violate their own agreement? (Picture: Times of Israel).
Why in the world have they insisted on wearing prayer shawls and taking a Torah to the women’s section in violation of that agreement–after winning the right to have a mixed women and men’s praying area on a plaza in front of Robinson’s arch, a separate entrance to the new plaza, and even a representative on the group that oversees the Kotel plaza?
Finally, the Orthodox had enough and informed PM Netanyahu two weeks ago that they would leave the Coalition unless changes to the original agreement are made.
This morning, the hammer fell, and Netanyahu issued this statement:
“Approximately two months ago, the Cabinet decided to implement the recommendations of the advisory committee on prayer arrangements at the Western Wall. Since then, several difficulties have arisen. We are working to resolve them. To this end, I have decided to appoint the head of the Prime Minister’s bureau, David Sharan, to coordinate discussions on this issue with the various elements and to present – within 60 days – a recommendation on the steps necessary to resolve the difficulties, according to the solution that has been proposed.”
In other words, the agreement will be modified.
The Women of the Wall along with Reform Jews around the world will howl in protest, and we will be back to square one.
–>The Israel Defense Forces are ranked 9th in the world.
What is the most valuable asset of the IDF? Our soldiers!
Based on “conventional” capabilities (such things as nuclear weapons are not included), the international military security site “Global Fire Power” has rated the IDF as the 9th most powerful military in the world. In making this determination, such things as national resources, geographical extent, manpower, weaponry (including quantity), and technological innovation were considered.
Here are the top 10:
1. U.S.
2. Russia
3. China
4. India
5. United Kingdom
6. France
7. Japan
8. South Korea
9. Israel
10. Turkey
Other countries in our neighborhood include Iran (12), Egypt (14), Saudi Arabia (21), UAE (45), and Jordan (59).
TODAY’S BLOG:
Will Israel’s offshore reserves ever be developed? Is the sun beginning to set on our once bright energy future?
To understand what happened in Israel yesterday concerning the governmental “Gas Outline” deal, you must first understand the Israel Supreme Court.
There is a tendency to think that the Israel Supreme Court, like the Supreme Court in many other countries, is merely the last “appellate” court. In other words, decisions made in lower district courts can be appealed to the Israel Supreme Court which is the final arbiter.
That much is true.
But the Israel Supreme Court has much more power–so much in fact that we could write a book on the subject. For example, in the 1980s and 90s, the Court granted itself ever more power becoming the self-appointed defender of “human rights” in the country. The Supreme Court began to intervene in every conceivable situation.
But suffice it to say here this morning that the Court also functions as a “court of first instance” meaning that it takes on cases which did not reach it through appeal.
As a court of first instance, the Israeli Supreme Court, acting as a “High Court of Justice” has the power to determine the legality of governmental decisions.
All of which leads us to yesterday.
In a blockbuster decision, the Court ruled that the recently formed “Gas Outline” which was designed to finally get gas production in Israel’s off-shore gas reserves underway is invalid.
Specifically, the Court ruled that “the stability clause” in the Agreement which states that no changes can be made to the Agreement for 10 years without a clear vote of the Knesset is unsatisfactory. In its decision, the Court gave the government one year to “fix” the clause.
The reaction to the Court decision has been dramatic.
*A visibly angry PM Netanyahu said:
“The Supreme Court’s decision seriously threatens the development of the gas reserves of the State of Israel. Israel is seen as a country with excessive judicial intervention with which it is difficult to do business. Certainly there is nothing to celebrate about the fact that the gas may remain in the depths of the sea and hundreds of billions of shekels will not reach Israeli citizens as a result. We will look for other ways to overcome the severe damage caused to the Israeli economy following this surprising ruling.”
*Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked added: “The cancellation of the stability clause is a blatant and unnecessary interference in a government decision which severely harms Israel’s economy. It is inconceivable that a government has the responsibility for the economy and prosperity of the country, but it remains without the requisite authority to act. It is impossible to work this way.”
*Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Jerusalem Ze’ev Elkin correctly observed: “[The Court] blatantly intervened in the running of the country without bearing responsibility. As a result of this intervention the Israeli economy was hurt and many billions in the state budget that could be spent on welfare, health and other social needs will be missing later on. We must remember that those who will be responsible for this are the judges in the ivory tower of the Supreme Court. It has been proven again, as I and some of my colleagues have been saying for years, that a fundamental reform of the judicial system to restore sanity to democracy is absolutely necessary.”
Your humble servant could not agree more.
It is absurd that Israel has vast resources sitting a few miles offshore and is unable to tap them because of the Israel Supreme Court.
The Court’s decision will make it harder than ever to attract companies to carry out the necessary preparatory work to produce the gas, and it will put Israel at an ever greater disadvantage as gas finds off-shore in Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus are developed.
And who is going to suffer? Israelis.
Elkin’s comment is worth repeating: “. . . billions in the state budget that could be spent on welfare, health and other social needs will be missing. . .”
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.