Israel bars UNESCO from Hebron
Israel has
barred a UNESCO team that is 'investigating' whether the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me'oras HaMachpeila) should become a 'protected' World Heritage site from visiting the site or the city.
Hebron’s Old City, including the Tomb of the Patriarchs, is one of the
35 sites the World Heritage Committee plans to consider for inscription
on the World Heritage List when it meets in Krakow, Poland from July
2-12.
The Palestinian Authority has fast tracked the inscription process by claiming that the site is endangered.
Since UNESCO recognized Palestine as a member state in 2011, the
Palestinian Authority has similarly fast tracked inscription of two
other sites on the list of World Heritage in Danger. This includes the
Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route in Bethlehem in 2012 and
the ancient terraces of Battir (2014).
The International Council
on Monuments and Sites, a professional body, which investigates
nomination requests and provides recommendations for inscription on the
list of World Heritage in Danger had recommended that both nominations
go through the normal process after making field visits to both sites.
This
time Israel has rejected its request to make a field visit to Hebron,
this includes a refusal to grant entry visas to Israel for the group,
Shama HaCohen said.
The 21-member World Heritage Committee
rejected the ICOMOS conclusions not to place the Church of the Nativity
and the terrace of Battir on its endangered list, Shama HaCohen said.
Therefore,
it’s “a shame to waste the time and money” of the ICOMOS committee
whose recommendations are otherwise typically adhered to with regard to
the inscription process, Shama HaCohen said.
“Israel won’t take
part in and won’t legitimize any Palestinian political moves under the
guise of culture and heritage,” Shama HaCohen said.
UNESCO - and all UN agencies - should be barred from Israel altogether. The only reason they come here is to try to destroy us.
Labels: Hebron, Machpeila cave, Palestinian Authority, UNESCO, United Nations
Hillel's anti-Israel educators
I'm now back in Israel, thank God.
I thought Hillel Director Eric Fingerhut was turning Hillel into a
pro-Israel organization. Apparently he has not succeeded (assuming he tried). Here's a petition at Change.org calling for the
dismissal of North Carolina Hillel director rabbi Jenny Solomon, for running a tour to Hebron with the viciously anti-Israel
Breaking the Silence. Here's the petition.
On
July 4, 2016, Rabbi Jenny Solomon co-led a trip to Hebron led by
Breaking the Silence, a group that is closely associated with BDS
(boycott, divest, and sanction Israel) organizations, harasses Israeli soldiers, and spreads hearsay accusations that demonize Israel that would be inadmissible in a court of law.
Rabbi Solomon and the Truah organization invited college groups to join the trip.
Who is Rabbi Jenny Solomon? She is the Senior Jewish Educator for NC Hillel.
In the 2015-2016, anti-Semitic attacks on campuses doubled. These attacks are directly correlated with the presence of BDS groups on campus.
This is NOT the time for Hillel to be hiring educators, rabbis, or directors with afiliation to the BDS movement.
URGE Hillel to remove employees like Rabbi Jenny Solomon with BDS associations.
URGE Hillel to vet all future hires to prevent Hillel from giving
voice to those who would promote anti-Semitism by demonizing,
delegitimizing, and applying a double standard to Israel.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition.
If Rabbi Jenny's name sounds familiar, perhaps it's because she's the spouse of
Rabbi Eric (Rabbi and Rabbi Solomon? Rabbi and Rabba Solomon? Rabbis Solomon?), who was recently
forced by his congregation to
drop a plan to take them on an anti-Israel tour run by Breaking the Silence.
For those of you who have forgotten 'Breaking the Silence,' they are an
organization that claims to be dedicated to exposing IDF abuses of
'Palestinians' in Judea and Samaria. They are funded by
European governments, by the European Union (which awarded them the prestigious
Andrei Sakharov prize) and by private American citizens (as well as by
UNICEF and OxFam). 'Breaking the Silence' interviews
discharged IDF soldiers and
debriefs them regarding their IDF service. Or so they claim. It now seems that they do a lot more.
And in case you were wondering, of course
George Soros funds Breaking the Silence. Eli Lake disclosed that last week.
The 2013 document describes the "toxic atmosphere" in 2000 and 2001
when the foundation began its work in the Middle East, and how this
environment could lead to "politically motivated investigations" from
either the Bush administration or what it calls "pro-Israel entities."
Soros himself was worried about George W. Bush. In 2006, he said the
president's communications strategy reminded him of Nazi and Communist
propaganda. Hence his foundations took a "cautious approach."
"For
a variety of reasons we wanted to construct a diversified portfolio of
grants dealing with Israel and Palestine, funding both Israeli Jewish
and (Palestinian Citizens of Israel) groups as well as building a
portfolio of Palestinian grants and in all cases to maintain a low
profile and relative distance –particularly on the advocacy front," the
2013 paper says.
Some of this was known before. I reported
in 2010 that the liberal Jewish group J Street had received Soros money
but had denied receiving it to the press and on its website. In 2013,
the pro-Israel group NGO Monitor issued a report on Soros funding for Israeli and Palestinian activists covered in the documents released this week.
Still,
let's take a minute here to savor the irony. An outfit that promotes
the "open society" is shielding its efforts to influence public policy.
It's true that plenty of foundations take a similar sub rosa approach to
funding advocacy work in Washington.
But those foundations are not
named for Karl Popper's famous defense of liberal democracies. It's
enough to make you wish there was a new Open Society Foundations to
expose the old one.
The group that leaked these documents is
mysterious. It's called DCLeaks.com, and it says it's a project of
"hacktivists" committed to many of the same principles espoused by
Popper and Soros.
Rebecca Beyer, a communications officer for Open
Society, confirmed to me Monday that documents were removed from an
online forum used by the staff of the foundation and its partners. She
said the breach was reported to the FBI. "The materials reflect
big-picture strategies over several years from the Open Society
Foundations network, which supports human rights, democratic practice,
economic advancement, and the rule of law in more than 100 countries
around the world."
When it comes to Israel, that translates into
funding organizations like Breaking the Silence, a group of Israeli
ex-soldiers who tour Europe and the U.S. to discuss the Israel Defense
Force's war crimes. The document says that between 2012 and 2014, the
Open Society Foundations gave this group $100,000 -- a significant
donation for a group that in 2012 had a budget of only $841,410.
Emphasis mine. I wonder whether Soros also contributes to Rabbi and Rabba Solomon's salaries. Hmmm.
Time for Hillel to clean house.
Labels: Breaking the Silence, George Soros, Hebron, Hillel, Operation Cast Lead
And again: 'Palestinian' terrorist murders Israeli father/husband, wounds mother/wife and two children
There's been another 'Palestinian' terror attack, this time near Otniel in the Hebron Hills.
This picture is hard to watch:
In case you didn't figure it out, it's a series of pictures of medics evacuating the terror attack victims. The attack took place
within the last hour and a half.
A manhunt is underway for a Palestinian suspect in Hebron and the army has set up checkpoints in the area. The suspected gunman comes from the village of Bani Na'im - the same village as the terrorist who killed a 13-year-old girl early Thursday, according to the military.
According to the army, the family's car was driving along the south Mount Hebron's Route 60 when they were overtaken by another vehicle and came under a hail of bullets, fired from what the army believe was a Kalashnikov rifle. The gunfire caused the car to veer and flip over. Army forces who searched the car said they found over 20 bullet casings inside.
Witnesses reported seeing an overturned car on the side of a road near the settlement of Otneil and an IDF outpost, some 15km south of Kiryat Arba. Rescue services alerted to the scene found the four causalities inside: One dead and three others wounded.
The victims were all taken to Jerusalem hospitals, with a woman in her 40s said to be in critical condition and on life support. The two others suffered light-to-moderate wounds.
Another Jewish family has had its life torn apart. May God Have mercy on them.
Labels: Hebron, Otniel, Palestinian terrorism
He won't be there to walk her down the aisle
A reminder that I am in Boston where the Sabbath does not start for several more hours and therefor I am able to still be online.
Just before the Sabbath started in Israel, Kiryat Arba (a Jewish suburb of Hebron) resident Yaakov Litman and his 18-year old son Netanel were murdered by 'Palestinian' terrorists.
It seems that Yaakov and Netanel were on their way to their future son-in-law and brother-in-law's aufruf (the calling to the Torah that takes place the Sabbath before the wedding) in Meitar, which is just outside Be'er Sheva. Yaakov's daughter, Netanel's sister is scheduled to be married on Tuesday night (Hat Tip:
Leah P via
Yeshiva World News).
In case you're wondering, under Jewish law, I believe that the wedding is postponed until after the shiva (one week) mourning period (the rule is different if the bride does not know of her father's death before the wedding).
Heartbreaking.
None of us should know from such sorrow any more.
Labels: Hebron, Kiryat Arba, Palestinian terrorism, wedding party
Video: Police officer being run over by 'Palestinian' terrorist, now in serious condition
Here is shocking video of a 'Palestinian' running into a group of people who included an Israeli police officer outside of Hebron about three hours ago.
The police officer was seriously wounded in the incident, which was obviously deliberate.
Let's go to the videotape.
Hopefully someone had the presence of mind to 'neutralize' the 'Palestinian.'
Labels: Hebron, Palestinian terrorism, Palestinian terrorists
'Palestinian' truck crushes Jew to death, 'Palestinians' celebrate (disturbing content)
55-year-old Avraham Asher Hasno HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) of Kiryat Arba in Judea got out of his car today to fight 'Palestinian' terrorists who were throwing rocks at Israeli cars. Hasno was deliberately run down by a 'Palestinian' truck (see pictures above - hopefully police and the IDF will at least catch the truck driver). Then the 'Palestinians'
celebrated Hasno's death.
Arab terrorists threw rocks at several cars at Al
Fawar junction, southwest of Hevron, prompting Hasno to get out of his
car. At that point an Arab driver ran him over in a truck before fleeing
the scene.
The paramedic who treated Hasno at the scene revealed shortly
after returning from the incident that he had witnessed a
blood-chilling sight while performing resuscitation attempts for the
victim, which eventually failed as he died of his wounds.
Around the site where he was trying to save Hasno's life, the shocked
paramedic said dozens of Arabs were standing around, and they clapped,
celebrated and cheered as the victim lay critically wounded and dying on
the pavement.
The Arabs celebrated with "cruelty that is hard to describe among human beings."
Hasno had gotten out of his car to confront the Arab terrorists
according to Hevron activist Baruch Marzel, who revealed that the
authorities refused Hasno's request to carry a gun.
The blood-curdling celebration at the sight of a dying man brings to
mind the callous response Arab passersby and shopkeepers showed Adele Bennett, who earlier this month ran for help while seriously wounded from a stabbing attack in Jerusalem's Old City.
Bennett's husband Aharon as well as Rabbi Nehemia Lavi were murdered
in the attack, and her two-year-old child was lightly wounded. And yet
Arab residents laughed and cheered as she ran for help, mocking and
hitting her. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has called to close the stores of the Arab shopkeepers who took part.
It is also being investigated whether Arab doctors working at an adjacent clinic refused to help the Jewish terror victims.
These are the spoiled children of Barack Hussein Obama and the European Union. They are all morally rotten.
Then again, I have to wonder why the medic was surprised. See
below.
Nothing has changed here in the last 100 years. Nothing at all.
Labels: Hebron, Kiryat Arba, Palestinian terrorism
Of course: 'Palestinian' who saved American kids from Hebron lynching receiving death threats
Last week, five American students were
nearly lynched in Hebron, their car burned to a crisp. A 'Palestinian' man sheltered them and saved their lives (two of them were injured). Now, that man's life is being threatened.
But give them a 'state' and they'll stop behaving that way....
Labels: Hebron, Palestinian terrorism
Breaking video: 5 American students attacked after mistakenly entering Hebron
This is going on now:
Their car was totally burnt.
If you're an American student (or tourist) in Israel, please (a) do not drive anywhere over the green line unless you absolutely know where you're going, and (b) if you think you know where you're going because you're using Waze, please go into the settings and check the box to "avoid roads under Palestinian Authority control." That won't help you in Jerusalem (the 'Palestinian Authority' doesn't officially control, for example,
the road leading to the Mount of Olives), but it will help you avoid situations like what has happened this evening.
The kids have all been rescued.
UPDATE 1:07 PM BOSTON TIME
Labels: Hebron, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Palestinian terrorism, Waze
'Every Israeli a legitimate target'
For those who have been hiding in a cave all day, thus far unidentified assailants burned down a home in the Arab village of Duma next to Nablus (Shchem) during the night. A baby died and his parents and brother were injured. I am going to post the reactions I posted on Twitter this morning, and then an update.
Ostensibly in response, Hamas is now saying that
every Israeli is a legitimate target for a terror attack.
Hamas said Friday that every Israeli is now a legitimate target
following the deadly terror attack in the village of Duma in which a
Palestinian toddler was killed, Israel Radio reported. In an official
message to the public, Hamas also called for a "day of rage" to protest
the deadly terror attack and "in order to protect al-Aksa mosque."
Palestinian toddler Ali Dawabsha was killed and three members of his family injured
after a molotov cocktail was thrown at their home by suspected
far-right extremists, in the village of Duma, in the northern area of
the West Bank, outside the city of Nablus.
Israeli and Palestinian security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank were placed on high alert following the attack.
As noted above, the difference between Israel and the 'Palestinians' is that the condemnation of this attack is across the board. Of course, it could still turn out that the attack was not carried out by Jews. But it should be condemned in any case.
There have been terror incidents in Judea and Samaria all afternoon, culminating in an
Israeli driver coming under fire - and responding - near Kochav HaShachar, which is just a few minutes from the Hizme crossing (the crossing between Jerusalem and Samaria).
A suspected Palestinian terrorist carried out a drive-by shooting attack
on an Israeli vehicle on Friday in the Binyamin region of the West Bank
near Kochav Hashahar. The Israeli driver in the vehicle told the army
he fired back at the gunman. There were no injuries in the incident. The
army found three bullet holes in the Israeli vehicle that came under
fire.
A couple of hours later, Palestinian rioters clashed with
IDF soldiers in Hebron. The incident occurred near the al-Rasoul Mosque,
when Palestinians on a march hurled rocks and burning tires at
security forces in the area.
Soldiers responded with riot
dispersal means, and fired Roger low intensity rounds at the legs of a
suspect, an army spokeswoman said. He sustained a light injury, the
spokeswoman added.
There's enough terrorism in this country without vigilantism. Whoever murdered that child should be sent to jail for a long, long time.
Labels: Hebron, Jerusalem, Shchem, terrorism
IDF video of attack on terrorists x2
I am back in Israel.
Here's the IDF video of the
attack early today on the two terrorists who murdered three Israeli teens over the summer. The translation is not complete.
Let's go to the videotape.
And here's a view from the helmet camera of one of the soldiers.
Let's go to the videotape.
Labels: Hebron, kidnapping, murder, Palestinian terrorism, Palestinian terrorists
IDF demolishes teen killers' homes
The IDF has
demolished the home of Husam Kawasmeh, the mastermind of the kidnapping and murder of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, HY"D (May God Avenge their blood) in June, and the home of Amar Abu Aysha, one of the terrorists who carried out the attack. Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasmeh, the other terrorist who carried out the attack, have not yet been found.
According to a statement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the homes of
terrorists Hussam Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eisha were demolished. The home
of a third terrorist, Marwan Kawasmeh, was sealed.
The operation was carried out “as part of the ongoing fight against
terrorism and its infrastructure, in accordance with the decision of the
head of Central Command, Gen. Nitzan Alon, and after three petitions on
the issue were rejected by the Supreme Court,” the statement said.
“Demolishing the homes of the terrorists sends a serious and
deterring message to terrorists and their accomplices, that there is a
price to pay if they choose to continue their terrorist activities and
attacks on innocent people,” the statement continued. “The security
forces - the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police - are continuing
the search for the kidnappers.”
“The IDF will continue to take all available legal means to harm
terrorists and their supporters, and discourage further attacks,” it
concluded.
Hussam Kawasmeh, a resident of Hevron, was recently arrested
in the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat in Jerusalem in a joint operation
involving IDF forces and the Shabak (Israel Security Agency), and has
admitted under interrogation to having orchestrated the kidnapping and
said he received funding from Hamas officials in Gaza.
I don't understand why they didn't demolish Marwan Kawasmeh's home as well.
JPost
adds:
Special forces of the IDF's Engineering Corps destroyed the home of Husam al-Qawasmi the 'mastermind' behind the kidnapping and murder of Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrah and Naftali Fraenkel.
Al-Qawasmi is suspected of giving the mid-June order to Marwan al-Qawasmi and Amir Abu Aisha to kidnap teenagers.
According to the state, Husam confessed not only that he gave the orders, but also that he collected weapons and raised funding for the attack by the Hamas cell.
In addition, Husam assisted Marwan in concealing the bodies by burying them on land he had bought in recent months.
Husam was attempting to flee the area and disappear across the Jordanian border with false documents subsequent to the bodies being found when he was caught on July 11.
The state said the evidence it had was at the level of a near certainty, having interrogated Husam and collected other evidence.
I don't know how much of a deterrent home destruction is but it's better than nothing.
Labels: Hebron, kidnapping, murder, Palestinian terrorism
Taking down a Pallywood video
This video was posted to YouTube on Tuesday. It looks completely damning.
Let's go to the videotape.
But the truth is that it's pure Pallywood. You won't believe what happened. Read all about it
here.
Labels: Hebron, Pallywood
Terrorist who planned and funded teens' kidnapping was released for Gilad and deported to Gaza
Last week, I reported on the arrest of Hussam Kawasme, the
confessed ringleader of the plot to kidnap Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach HY"D (May God Avenge their blood) in June. Two other terrorists who are also members of the Hebron Kawasme clan - Marwan Kawasme and Omar Abu Aysha - are wanted in connection with the kidnapping and remain at large. Now, the Times of Israel reports that a third Kawasme brother, Mahmoud Kawasme, who was released as part of the terrorists for Gilad trade and deported to Gaza, has become very close with Hamas in Gaza, and
planned and funded the operation on Hamas' behalf.
Mahmoud Ali Kawasme was one of the Palestinian inmates deported to Gaza in the 2011 prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit.
He is suspected of funding and planning the
June 12 West Bank attack in which Israeli students Gil-ad Shaar, Eyal
Yifrach and Naftali Fraenkel were abducted and killed near Hebron.
His ties to the attack and to Hamas will
likely further implicate the terror group in the killings. Israel has
alleged Hamas involvement, though Hamas’s leadership has denied any
connection to the scheme.
Mahmoud Kawasme’s brother, Hussam, was recently arrested by the Shin Bet and the police anti-terror unit near Jerusalem.
Hussam Kawasme admitted during his
interrogation that he was the commander of the two kidnappers, Marwan
Kawasme and Omar Abu Aysha. All four live in the same area of Hebron.
The latter two are from the Haris neighborhood, while the families of
Hussam and Mahmoud live in the nearby Wadi Abu Ktayla neighborhood in
the northwestern part of the city.
Mahmoud Kawasme is a known Hamas operative who
was imprisoned in Israel until the Gilad Shalit deal, when he was
deported to Gaza under the terms of the agreement, which also obligated
the former prisoners to not return to terror.
Kawasme, though, continued to work with
members of Hamas’s military wing there, in an attempt to bring about
terror attacks in the West Bank. He maintained contacts with terror
operatives in Hebron, as well as other cities like Tulkarm.
According to Palestinian sources, Mahmoud
Kawasme initiated and planned the kidnapping along with his brother
Hussam. Senior members of Hamas’s military wing were aware of the plan,
and gave him money to fund the attack. The kidnappers needed vehicles,
Israeli license plates, weapons, and safe houses.
Israel has not rushed to blame Hamas’s senior
leadership for the kidnapping and murder. Israeli officials have said
there was a general directive for a kidnapping and funding for it, but
there is still no proof of a direct order to kidnap the teens.
But you can bet that if this 'cease fire' holds, Obama-Kerry will be pressuring us to free more 'Palestinian' terrorists (not to mention that Hamas wants us to re-free all the terrorists who were arrested after the kidnapping).. What could go wrong?
Labels: deportation, Gaza, Hamas, Hebron, kidnapping, murder, terrorists for Gilad trade
Breaking: IDF caught terror cell leader that kidnapped three Israeli teens; admits financing by Hamas Gaza
The IDF has caught the alleged leader of the terror cell that kidnapped and murdered Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach HY"D (May God Avenge their blood) in June. The terrorist, Hussam Kawasme, has admitted that
Hamas in Gaza financed the operation.
Kawasme, of Hebron, was apprehended while attempting to flee with the help of his family to Jordan under a false identity, Ynet reported.
He reportedly admitted to serving as the leader of the cell that
perpetrated the murders of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Fraenkel and Eyal
Yifrach. Kawasme said that funding for the attack, which he used to buy
weapons, came from Hamas in Gaza.
In his interrogation, Kawasme said he helped to bury the bodies on a
plot of land he had purchased two months prior to the murders. He then
helped the two men who drove the car and shot the teens to hide.
Security forces are still searching for the two men — Kawasme’s
brother, Marwan, and Omar Abu Aysha. Marwan Kawasme, who is active in
Hamas, was freed in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange and deported to
Gaza, The Times of Israel reported.
Another suspected cell member, Hussan Dofesh, also was arrested a month ago in Hebron.
So much for anyone who thought it was a 'local' or 'spontaneous' operation.
The Kawasme's are a well-known Hebron clan. One of them was the mayor of Hebron back in 1980.
Labels: Hamas, Hebron, kidnapping, murder, Palestinian terrorism
Not just in Gaza - Hebron too
Hat Tip:
Mrs. Carl.
Labels: Hamas, Hebron, terror tunnels
Hamas finally hits something
Hamas has finally hit something. The Jewish Press reports that the alarm that went off in Jerusalem at 6:57 pm this evening was caused by rockets hitting the Gush Etzion area. Two of the rockets hit something... the 'Palestinian' parts of
Hebron and Bethlehem.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
UPDATE SUNDAY 12:46 AM
Israel's Channel 1 (television) is reporting that Hamas hit the 'Palestinian capital' of Ramallah.
Labels: Bethlehem, Gaza, Gush Etzion, Hamas rockets, Hebron, Operation Protective Edge
Report: IDF demolishing kidnapper/murderer's home
Please God Let it be true:
Labels: Hebron, home demolitions, kidnapping, murder, Palestinian terrorism, Palestinian terrorists
Released from gag order: Shot heard on tape during call from Naftali Frenkel HY"D to police
The IDF has now lifted a gag order over the fact that a gunshot was heard in the background as Naftali Frenkel HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) called the police on June 12. There was also forensic evidence found that the boys were
murdered in the kidnap vehicle almost immediately.
Israeli officials have imposed a gag order on many details of the
search for the teens. That gag order initially included a phone call
made from one of the teens to police, as well as evidence found in a
burnt-out car in the Hebron area.
BuzzFeed spoke to an Israeli official involved in the case, who
confirmed that during the police call a gunshot can clearly be heard.
The car, he added, had clear evidence of foul play. Over the last week.
Israeli soldiers could be seen digging through rocks and dredging wells
in Hebron in the search for the teens.
“We have been operating, for some time now, with evidence that these
boys were killed,” he said. “It is with a heavy heart that we realized
we were looking for bodies.”
An Israeli army officer, who spoke to BuzzFeed by phone from the
Hebron area, said that an autopsy had not yet been conducted. He said
that the bodies of three teens had been found shot, likely very close to
the time of their abduction.
The families of the three, however, kept hope that they would be
found alive – holding prayer rallies for the safe return of their sons.
May God Have mercy....
Labels: Hebron, Israel police, kidnapping, Palestinian terrorism, Palestinian terrorists
NY Times: They were murdered shortly after they were kidnapped
The New York Times reports that Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach HY"D (May God Avenge their blood) were
murdered shortly after they were kidnapped.
The
officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the official
announcement, said the Army had found the three bodies buried “in a
field near Hebron” and were waiting to inform the families before
releasing information.
“They
know it’s the three, they will know for sure after they do the
autopsy."The official said the three appeared to have been shot to
death, likely “very close to the kidnap” time, and that the prime
suspects had still not been caught.
On Monday, the Israel Police finally got around to disciplining the people who
did not take Frenkel's emergency call seriously.
Four police officers have been removed from their posts as part of
the findings of an internal police probe into the handling of a distress call placed by one of the three kidnapped teens on the night of June 12th.
The
officers do not include the “Shaham” cop performing his national
service in the police, who answered the call and passed it on to his
supervisors. He was found by the probe to have conducted himself as
expected.
Those removed from their posts include the head of the operations
branch of the Judea and Samaria district, the deputy head of district
operations, the head of the police control center where the call was
handled, and the shift leader responsible for supervising the dispatch
center that night.
During the 2:09 call, which was received at
10:25 pm on June 12th, a single voice can be heard whispering “they
kidnapped me” after which he goes silent. The call was not given the
proper urgency or handed over to security services until nearly five
hours later, when one of the boy’s parents reported him missing to
police.
The handling of the call represented a severe failure “that ran along
along the entire chain of command at the center, crossing a series of
police, officers, and commanders," police said Monday.
National
Police Commissioner Yochanan Danino said Monday that the incident
represented “a failure of the utmost severity" and vowed to improve
service at police dispatch centers, which he calls "the address the
public turns to when they face trouble".
He has also appointed
Deputy National Commissioner Nissim Mor to head a team to examine the
performance of dispatch centers nationwide.
Police have not handed
over the tape to the press, saying that the Shin Bet does not want it
published. They have however played it for the families of the kidnapped
teens, a number of whom were reportedly seen leaving the meeting highly
distraught afterwards.
Over two minutes on the phone and they weren't taken seriously. Those police officers' careers ought to end in ignominy.
Labels: Hebron, Israel police, kidnapping, Palestinian terrorism
Clashes between IDF troops and 'Palestinians' north of Hebron
There are reports of
clashes between IDF troops and 'Palestinians' in Halhoul, north of Hebron (the area where that burning car was found the night the boys were kidnapped) as the announcement with respect to the kidnapping has been postponed to 8:15 Israel time - about ten minutes from now.
The security cabinet was to meet at 8:00 amidst reports of '
dramatic developments' in the investigation.
Israel’s security forces arrested six Palestinians Sunday night in an ongoing effort to find three kidnapped Israeli teens.
The IDF said that five of the suspects were
members of Hamas from Hebron, where the military has been concentrating
its search, and one was from the Ramallah area.
IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner confirmed that all of the arrests were made in connection with the search for the teens.
...
Israeli authorities on Thursday named two Hamas members as prime suspects in the kidnapping.
The two, Amer Abu Aysha and Marwan Kawasme,
have been missing from their homes in Hebron’s Hares neighborhood ever
since the kidnapping took place on the night of June 12 and are still at
large.
Hamas officials in Hebron confirmed the two
suspects were members, and said Israeli troops have targeted the men’s
homes since the beginning of Operation Brother’s Keeper. The officials
said troops had entered the homes several times, conducting intense
searches and confiscating items as evidence.
We can only hope and pray that those kids are alive and well and that God Will Grant their parents the strength to deal with whatever follows.
Labels: Hebron, kidnapping, Palestinian terrorism
