23 apr 2013
Bardawil: Resistance factions take Israeli threats seriously
Dr. Salah Al-Bardawil, a Hamas leader, has said that Palestinian resistance factions were taking Israeli threats to invade Gaza seriously.
Bardawil was quoted by Rai news agency on Tuesday as saying that the resistance factions are working day and night to confront any such military adventure.
He opined, however, that Israeli chief of staff Benny Gantz’s threats to attack Gaza were psychological warfare.
The Hamas leader ruled out an imminent Israeli war on Gaza, explaining that regional developments and Israeli fear of resistance impede such an aggression.
Bardawil said that Palestinian factions were still abiding by the calm agreement brokered by Egypt and were monitoring Israeli violations and reporting them to the Egyptian patron of the agreement.
Bardawil was quoted by Rai news agency on Tuesday as saying that the resistance factions are working day and night to confront any such military adventure.
He opined, however, that Israeli chief of staff Benny Gantz’s threats to attack Gaza were psychological warfare.
The Hamas leader ruled out an imminent Israeli war on Gaza, explaining that regional developments and Israeli fear of resistance impede such an aggression.
Bardawil said that Palestinian factions were still abiding by the calm agreement brokered by Egypt and were monitoring Israeli violations and reporting them to the Egyptian patron of the agreement.
Visit of Jordanian MP to Israel condemned nationwide
Popular and official Jordanian figures denounced lawmaker Mohamed Dawayima for visiting the occupied Palestinian lands at the invitation of the Israeli foreign ministry.
Many Jordanian lawmakers and journalists left the parliament hall on Monday when MP Dawayima started his speech in a session held to discuss the confidence to be given for the new government.
Some of his fellow lawmakers also verbally attacked Dawayima and described him as a traitor.
For its part, the higher executive committee for defending the homeland and confronting normalization in Jordan condemned the visit and stated that Dawayima met with Israeli figures known for their hostility against Muslims and Arabs and whose hands are stained with the Palestinian blood.
The committee also described the visit as an act against the religious principles and the national interests.
Al-Dawayima tribe, in turn, disowned the lawmaker and condemned his attitude as shameful.
The tribe added that the lawmaker does not represent it and confirmed its rejection of any steps to normalize relations with the Israeli occupation.
Meanwhile, a number of Jordanian lawmakers started to collect signatures inside the parliament to strip Dawayima of his diplomatic immunity.
Many Jordanian lawmakers and journalists left the parliament hall on Monday when MP Dawayima started his speech in a session held to discuss the confidence to be given for the new government.
Some of his fellow lawmakers also verbally attacked Dawayima and described him as a traitor.
For its part, the higher executive committee for defending the homeland and confronting normalization in Jordan condemned the visit and stated that Dawayima met with Israeli figures known for their hostility against Muslims and Arabs and whose hands are stained with the Palestinian blood.
The committee also described the visit as an act against the religious principles and the national interests.
Al-Dawayima tribe, in turn, disowned the lawmaker and condemned his attitude as shameful.
The tribe added that the lawmaker does not represent it and confirmed its rejection of any steps to normalize relations with the Israeli occupation.
Meanwhile, a number of Jordanian lawmakers started to collect signatures inside the parliament to strip Dawayima of his diplomatic immunity.
22 apr 2013
Haneyya gov’t asks Egypt to restrain Israeli provocation
The Gaza government of Ismail Haneyya has categorically denied Israeli allegations that elements from Gaza infiltrated into the Egyptian Sinai desert and fired rockets at Eilat.
Taher Al-Nunu, the government’s spokesman, said in a terse statement on Sunday that the remarks by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu constituted clear provocation against the Gaza Strip.
Nunu asked the “brothers in Egypt” to intervene and end such provocation and restrain the Israeli aggressive intentions against the coastal enclave.
Taher Al-Nunu, the government’s spokesman, said in a terse statement on Sunday that the remarks by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu constituted clear provocation against the Gaza Strip.
Nunu asked the “brothers in Egypt” to intervene and end such provocation and restrain the Israeli aggressive intentions against the coastal enclave.
21 apr 2013
Abu Zuhri: Israel’s threats reflect its criminal nature
Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said that Israel’s threats to invade the Gaza Strip reflected the criminal nature of its new coalition government.
The spokesman told Quds Press on Sunday that the threats against Gaza reflected that new government’s program of escalation against the Palestinian people and its policy of aggression, murder, and destruction.
Abu Zuhri, however, said that Israeli threats did not terrorize the Palestinian people or Hamas movement, adding that the Palestinian factions would defend the people with all available means.
He asked the regional and international parties concerned to intervene and bridle the Israeli escalation.
Israeli officials have been voicing threats over the past few weeks to launch a new war on the coastal enclave at the pretext that Palestinian factions were recurrently violating the calm agreement brokered by Egypt last November.
The spokesman told Quds Press on Sunday that the threats against Gaza reflected that new government’s program of escalation against the Palestinian people and its policy of aggression, murder, and destruction.
Abu Zuhri, however, said that Israeli threats did not terrorize the Palestinian people or Hamas movement, adding that the Palestinian factions would defend the people with all available means.
He asked the regional and international parties concerned to intervene and bridle the Israeli escalation.
Israeli officials have been voicing threats over the past few weeks to launch a new war on the coastal enclave at the pretext that Palestinian factions were recurrently violating the calm agreement brokered by Egypt last November.
Israel to 'exact price' for Eilat rocket attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed Israel would "exact a price" from the Gaza militants who recently fired missiles from Sinai at the southern resort city of Eilat.
"Last week missiles were fired from Sinai at Eilat," Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting shortly before the arrival of US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel for a three-day visit.
"Those who fired them are apparently a terror squad that departed Gaza and used the territory of Sinai to attack an Israeli city.
"We will not accept this and we will exact a price -- this has been our consistent policy the past four years and it will serve us in this case as well," he said in remarks relayed by his bureau.
On Wednesday, militants fired two rockets from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula at Eilat which hit inside the city but caused no casualties.
The attack was claimed by a Gaza-based Salafi group called the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which has in recent months fired rockets from Gaza into Israel.
The security situation in Sinai was likely to be one of the topics raised in Netanyahu's talks with Hagel when the two meet on Tuesday, press reports said.
Eilat has been hit by intermittent rocket fire from Sinai over the past few years. The last attack was in August 2012 when militants from another Salafist group called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis fired two rockets at the city without causing injuries.
Since the ouster of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, Israel's border with Sinai has seen multiple security incidents, with militants using the lawless peninsula to stage attacks.
There has also been an uptick in rocket fire from Gaza in the last two months, with several attacks claimed by Salafist militants.
Israel police said another rocket hit southern Israel overnight without causing casualties or damage. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Until the end of February, the Israel-Gaza border was completely quiet after an Egyptian-brokered truce ended eight days of deadly fighting between Israel and militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement.
For the most part, Israel has responded with restraint, staging only one night of air strikes on Gaza on April 3, which caused no injuries.
"Last week missiles were fired from Sinai at Eilat," Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting shortly before the arrival of US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel for a three-day visit.
"Those who fired them are apparently a terror squad that departed Gaza and used the territory of Sinai to attack an Israeli city.
"We will not accept this and we will exact a price -- this has been our consistent policy the past four years and it will serve us in this case as well," he said in remarks relayed by his bureau.
On Wednesday, militants fired two rockets from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula at Eilat which hit inside the city but caused no casualties.
The attack was claimed by a Gaza-based Salafi group called the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which has in recent months fired rockets from Gaza into Israel.
The security situation in Sinai was likely to be one of the topics raised in Netanyahu's talks with Hagel when the two meet on Tuesday, press reports said.
Eilat has been hit by intermittent rocket fire from Sinai over the past few years. The last attack was in August 2012 when militants from another Salafist group called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis fired two rockets at the city without causing injuries.
Since the ouster of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, Israel's border with Sinai has seen multiple security incidents, with militants using the lawless peninsula to stage attacks.
There has also been an uptick in rocket fire from Gaza in the last two months, with several attacks claimed by Salafist militants.
Israel police said another rocket hit southern Israel overnight without causing casualties or damage. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Until the end of February, the Israel-Gaza border was completely quiet after an Egyptian-brokered truce ended eight days of deadly fighting between Israel and militants from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement.
For the most part, Israel has responded with restraint, staging only one night of air strikes on Gaza on April 3, which caused no injuries.
17 apr 2013
Navy complicit in Kishon River pollution?
Base sitting on river bank spilled toxic substances for years; IDF officials suspected of failure to report lack of sewerage, obstructing justice
An IDF navy base may have been complicit in dropping toxic waste into the Kishon River, which has allegedly made many divers and Navy soldiers seriously ill over the years, prompting high profile compensation claims. The new findings came up in an upcoming report on the issue by the Environment Protection Ministry.
Haifa's Kishon River has become infamous for the extremely high levels of pollution due, allegedly, to industry in the area. Many soldiers in the Navy have become sick, apparently from working in the polluted waters of the river, and this case has been ongoing for many years.
Inspectors in the ministry's marine and coastal department launched an independent probe into the issue following reports regarding pollution in a fishing marina located in one of Kishon River's estuaries. The inquiry led the to a nearby IDF marine base, which, contrary to what IDF officials led the ministry to believe, had never been connected to a sewerage system, and has been dropping its waste, including industrial oils, into the river.
Ministry officials said the base was not included in a report submitted two years earlier by the IDF, specifying all the military facilities not connected to sewerage systems; it was this omission, officials said, which enabled the base to go unexamined by environmental inspectors, though the spillage is suspected to have been carrying on unnoticed for years.
The probe revealed that IDF officials in the base installed a few years earlier equipment designed to minimize the spillage of toxic pollution into the river. It is suspected, however, that once the implementations failed, officials at the base brought the fact to the attention of their superiors at the Navy Command.
Reportedly, they were told there were no budgetary means available to deal with the malfunction, and that no further steps were taken since. The probe has not yet reached completion. Its findings will be forwarded to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Reni Amir, the head of the ministry's marine and coastal department, issued a warning to navy chief Ram Rothberg prior to taking legal action against the navy. Following this measure the spillage problem was immediately fixed by hiring an independent body specializing in disposing of toxic waste.
Ministry inspectors also claimed Navy officials at the base kept them waiting outside the facility for approximately two hours before letting them inspect the base, in contravention to the established code of conduct between the ministry and the navy. Thus officials at the base are also suspected in attempted obstruction of justice.
The revelation has implications that go further than the specific case. For years, on the heels of a Yedioth Ahronoth exclusive, the extremely high levels of pollution in the Kishon river were blamed exclusively on the factories sitting on the river bank. Now the role of the IDF in spilling industrial oils and metallic waste has come to the fore, though providing exact figures regarding the extent of the spillage from the base is most likely to prove impossible. IDF Spokesperson's Unit told Yedioth Ahronoth that "the issue is under investigation by the 'green police' at the Ministry for Environment. Their findings will be forwarded to the Military Prosecutor's Office." The spokesperson added he believed the inspectors were not impeded in the process of their inquiry into the base.
An IDF navy base may have been complicit in dropping toxic waste into the Kishon River, which has allegedly made many divers and Navy soldiers seriously ill over the years, prompting high profile compensation claims. The new findings came up in an upcoming report on the issue by the Environment Protection Ministry.
Haifa's Kishon River has become infamous for the extremely high levels of pollution due, allegedly, to industry in the area. Many soldiers in the Navy have become sick, apparently from working in the polluted waters of the river, and this case has been ongoing for many years.
Inspectors in the ministry's marine and coastal department launched an independent probe into the issue following reports regarding pollution in a fishing marina located in one of Kishon River's estuaries. The inquiry led the to a nearby IDF marine base, which, contrary to what IDF officials led the ministry to believe, had never been connected to a sewerage system, and has been dropping its waste, including industrial oils, into the river.
Ministry officials said the base was not included in a report submitted two years earlier by the IDF, specifying all the military facilities not connected to sewerage systems; it was this omission, officials said, which enabled the base to go unexamined by environmental inspectors, though the spillage is suspected to have been carrying on unnoticed for years.
The probe revealed that IDF officials in the base installed a few years earlier equipment designed to minimize the spillage of toxic pollution into the river. It is suspected, however, that once the implementations failed, officials at the base brought the fact to the attention of their superiors at the Navy Command.
Reportedly, they were told there were no budgetary means available to deal with the malfunction, and that no further steps were taken since. The probe has not yet reached completion. Its findings will be forwarded to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Reni Amir, the head of the ministry's marine and coastal department, issued a warning to navy chief Ram Rothberg prior to taking legal action against the navy. Following this measure the spillage problem was immediately fixed by hiring an independent body specializing in disposing of toxic waste.
Ministry inspectors also claimed Navy officials at the base kept them waiting outside the facility for approximately two hours before letting them inspect the base, in contravention to the established code of conduct between the ministry and the navy. Thus officials at the base are also suspected in attempted obstruction of justice.
The revelation has implications that go further than the specific case. For years, on the heels of a Yedioth Ahronoth exclusive, the extremely high levels of pollution in the Kishon river were blamed exclusively on the factories sitting on the river bank. Now the role of the IDF in spilling industrial oils and metallic waste has come to the fore, though providing exact figures regarding the extent of the spillage from the base is most likely to prove impossible. IDF Spokesperson's Unit told Yedioth Ahronoth that "the issue is under investigation by the 'green police' at the Ministry for Environment. Their findings will be forwarded to the Military Prosecutor's Office." The spokesperson added he believed the inspectors were not impeded in the process of their inquiry into the base.
Two rockets hit Israel’s Eilat resort
Rocket in Eilat
Two rockets fired from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula have hit Eilat resort in southern Israel, Israeli military spokeswoman says.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning, causing explosions in the area, with no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
"There were two rockets fired from Sinai, both landed in open spaces" near Eilat, the spokeswoman said.
Egypt, however, denied reports that the rockets had been fired from Sinai Peninsula.
"We have not been informed of any violations along the Egyptian border," said an Egyptian security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"Sinai is under Egyptian security control mainly in the border areas with Israel and the Gaza Strip," the official added.
Sirens went off just before the twin blasts occurred. The city’s airport was closed and police ordered residents to stay indoors.
Security sources said that Israel’s Iron Dome missile batteries, which were deployed outside Eilat last month, did not intercept the rockets. The batteries may have malfunctioned or were not able to lock onto the rockets.
In April 2012, a rocket fired from Sinai hit Eilat, while another unexploded rocket was found near the city days later. The incident caused no casualties.
In August 2012, two other rockets also hit the city, with no injuries again.
Salafi group claims responsibility for rocket fire
Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem says fire at Eilat was in response to killing of Palestinians near Einav settlement. Egypt establishes team to check source of fire.
The Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem has claimed responsibility for the firing of rockets at Eilat, Arab media are reporting. A statement issued by the Salafi group said that two Grad rockets had been fired but did not disclose from where.
It was further stated that the attack was in response to the killing of two Palestinians who hurled a Molotov cocktail at an IDF post near the settlement of Einav earlier this month.
Last March, the group, which operates both in Sinai and in Gaza, claimed responsibility for the firing of Gaza rockets during US President Barack Obama's visit to Israel.
The past few weeks have seen Hamas cracking down on Salafi groups breaching the ceasefire agreement reached at the end of Operation Pillar of Defense .
Meanwhile, Egyptian newspaper al-Youm al-Sabaa reported that Egypt has raised its alert level along the border and that Sinai Bedouin tribal leaders were asked to monitor any suspicious movements in the area.
Initially, Egyptian security forces were quick to deny that the firing had come from Sinai. A top military official told Sky Arabia that there had been no firing from Egypt and South Sinai Governor Khaled Fuda added that "Israel's claims on the origin of the fire are false."
Fuda said that Israel is trying to hurt Sinai tourism and destabilize the region.
Also Wednesday, German news agency DPA quoted an Egyptian defense source as saying that Israel must examine the rockets before stating their origin.
But the tone of the statements softened later in the day. Egypt's state news agency quoted sources as saying that authorities are conducting examinations to check Israel's claims. A local news website quoted other officials as saying that security forces are canvassing the Sinai Peninsula, mainly the border area.
Two rockets fired from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula have hit Eilat resort in southern Israel, Israeli military spokeswoman says.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning, causing explosions in the area, with no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
"There were two rockets fired from Sinai, both landed in open spaces" near Eilat, the spokeswoman said.
Egypt, however, denied reports that the rockets had been fired from Sinai Peninsula.
"We have not been informed of any violations along the Egyptian border," said an Egyptian security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"Sinai is under Egyptian security control mainly in the border areas with Israel and the Gaza Strip," the official added.
Sirens went off just before the twin blasts occurred. The city’s airport was closed and police ordered residents to stay indoors.
Security sources said that Israel’s Iron Dome missile batteries, which were deployed outside Eilat last month, did not intercept the rockets. The batteries may have malfunctioned or were not able to lock onto the rockets.
In April 2012, a rocket fired from Sinai hit Eilat, while another unexploded rocket was found near the city days later. The incident caused no casualties.
In August 2012, two other rockets also hit the city, with no injuries again.
Salafi group claims responsibility for rocket fire
Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem says fire at Eilat was in response to killing of Palestinians near Einav settlement. Egypt establishes team to check source of fire.
The Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem has claimed responsibility for the firing of rockets at Eilat, Arab media are reporting. A statement issued by the Salafi group said that two Grad rockets had been fired but did not disclose from where.
It was further stated that the attack was in response to the killing of two Palestinians who hurled a Molotov cocktail at an IDF post near the settlement of Einav earlier this month.
Last March, the group, which operates both in Sinai and in Gaza, claimed responsibility for the firing of Gaza rockets during US President Barack Obama's visit to Israel.
The past few weeks have seen Hamas cracking down on Salafi groups breaching the ceasefire agreement reached at the end of Operation Pillar of Defense .
Meanwhile, Egyptian newspaper al-Youm al-Sabaa reported that Egypt has raised its alert level along the border and that Sinai Bedouin tribal leaders were asked to monitor any suspicious movements in the area.
Initially, Egyptian security forces were quick to deny that the firing had come from Sinai. A top military official told Sky Arabia that there had been no firing from Egypt and South Sinai Governor Khaled Fuda added that "Israel's claims on the origin of the fire are false."
Fuda said that Israel is trying to hurt Sinai tourism and destabilize the region.
Also Wednesday, German news agency DPA quoted an Egyptian defense source as saying that Israel must examine the rockets before stating their origin.
But the tone of the statements softened later in the day. Egypt's state news agency quoted sources as saying that authorities are conducting examinations to check Israel's claims. A local news website quoted other officials as saying that security forces are canvassing the Sinai Peninsula, mainly the border area.
14 apr 2013
Erekat slams 'racist' Israeli citizenship law
PLO official Saeb Erekat on Sunday slammed Israel's decision to extend a law which prohibits granting residency or citizenship to Palestinians from the occupied territories who are married to Palestinian citizens of Israel, a statement said.
"What the Israeli government has approved is a racist law attempting to distort the Palestinian social fabric and force the displacement of Palestinian families," Erekat said.
"Israel not only wants to control Palestinian freedom of movement and steal land and natural resources through its colonial settlement enterprise, but seeks to control the very right of our people to choose and establish a family."
The proposal was submitted to Israel's cabinet by Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Saar, a Likud member, and was based on Shin Bet's opinion of Gazans posing a security threat, Haaretz reported.
The Citizenship and Entry into Israel law was enacted by the Israeli Knesset in 2003. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website says the temporary order is "security orientated" and enacted after people took advantage of Israeli identity to carry out "terrorist attacks."
Erekat called on the international community to "seriously examine the pattern of Israeli policies contributing to a situation of apartheid and to look into the wider effects and implications of the Israeli government’s precondition of being recognized as a Jewish State."
Human Rights Watch has said that "the law violates Israel's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which applies not only to race but also to national or ethnic origin."
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2003 called on Israel to revoke the law.
"What the Israeli government has approved is a racist law attempting to distort the Palestinian social fabric and force the displacement of Palestinian families," Erekat said.
"Israel not only wants to control Palestinian freedom of movement and steal land and natural resources through its colonial settlement enterprise, but seeks to control the very right of our people to choose and establish a family."
The proposal was submitted to Israel's cabinet by Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Saar, a Likud member, and was based on Shin Bet's opinion of Gazans posing a security threat, Haaretz reported.
The Citizenship and Entry into Israel law was enacted by the Israeli Knesset in 2003. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website says the temporary order is "security orientated" and enacted after people took advantage of Israeli identity to carry out "terrorist attacks."
Erekat called on the international community to "seriously examine the pattern of Israeli policies contributing to a situation of apartheid and to look into the wider effects and implications of the Israeli government’s precondition of being recognized as a Jewish State."
Human Rights Watch has said that "the law violates Israel's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which applies not only to race but also to national or ethnic origin."
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2003 called on Israel to revoke the law.
12 apr 2013
Israel police hold 5 women for praying at Western Wall
Five Jewish feminists who on Thursday wore prayer shawls and prayed out loud at Jerusalem's Western Wall in defiance of a court order have been detained for questioning, a police spokeswoman said.
Some 200 women gathered at the Wall in Jerusalem's Old City to stage what has become a monthly protest by activists seeking to overturn a legal ban on them performing certain religious rituals at the sacred site, an AFP correspondent said.
Media reports this week said Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky was trying to find a compromise so the women could pray as they wish without offending more traditional worshippers.
"Five (women) who were wearing a tallit, which is barred by the Supreme Court, were taken for questioning," police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP.
An ultra-Orthodox man who tried to set fire to a prayer pamphlet being held by one of the women was also taken for questioning, Samri said.
Wearing a tallit, a fringed prayer shawl, is one of several practices traditionally reserved for men at the sacred spot in the Old City. A court in 2003 ruled that women could not perform such rituals there as this would constitute a danger to public order.
Under Israeli law, women are allowed to pray at the ancient wall, but in silence.
The activists, who belong to a group called Women of the Wall, have been going the site to pray on the first day of every Jewish month for 25 years, sparking insults and curses from the men at the site.
At the same time, they have been waging a protracted legal struggle over their right to pray out loud, to wear prayer shawls and to hold a Torah scroll at the site.
The AFP correspondent said that some of the women at Thursday's protest were wrapped in tallits while others wore skullcaps.
Religious men tried to drown out their singing and prayers by carrying out their own rites at a volume much louder than usual.
The women say access to the Wall, the most sacred spot at which Jews can pray, is open to all streams of Judaism, including the Reform and Liberal branches which accord women an equal place alongside men.
The Jewish Agency, a body tasked with linking Israel to Jewish communities around the world, confirmed on its Facebook page Sharansky was working on a compromise plan.
"Sharansky hopes his recommendations will be accepted and will decrease the heightened tensions at the Western Wall," it said in a move aimed at making the site "a symbol of unity among the Jewish people, and not one of discord and strife".
The site is venerated by Jews as the last remnant of wall supporting the Second Temple complex, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
On its other side is the compound housing the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
Also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the compound is a deeply sensitive location where clashes frequently break out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces.
Some 200 women gathered at the Wall in Jerusalem's Old City to stage what has become a monthly protest by activists seeking to overturn a legal ban on them performing certain religious rituals at the sacred site, an AFP correspondent said.
Media reports this week said Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky was trying to find a compromise so the women could pray as they wish without offending more traditional worshippers.
"Five (women) who were wearing a tallit, which is barred by the Supreme Court, were taken for questioning," police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP.
An ultra-Orthodox man who tried to set fire to a prayer pamphlet being held by one of the women was also taken for questioning, Samri said.
Wearing a tallit, a fringed prayer shawl, is one of several practices traditionally reserved for men at the sacred spot in the Old City. A court in 2003 ruled that women could not perform such rituals there as this would constitute a danger to public order.
Under Israeli law, women are allowed to pray at the ancient wall, but in silence.
The activists, who belong to a group called Women of the Wall, have been going the site to pray on the first day of every Jewish month for 25 years, sparking insults and curses from the men at the site.
At the same time, they have been waging a protracted legal struggle over their right to pray out loud, to wear prayer shawls and to hold a Torah scroll at the site.
The AFP correspondent said that some of the women at Thursday's protest were wrapped in tallits while others wore skullcaps.
Religious men tried to drown out their singing and prayers by carrying out their own rites at a volume much louder than usual.
The women say access to the Wall, the most sacred spot at which Jews can pray, is open to all streams of Judaism, including the Reform and Liberal branches which accord women an equal place alongside men.
The Jewish Agency, a body tasked with linking Israel to Jewish communities around the world, confirmed on its Facebook page Sharansky was working on a compromise plan.
"Sharansky hopes his recommendations will be accepted and will decrease the heightened tensions at the Western Wall," it said in a move aimed at making the site "a symbol of unity among the Jewish people, and not one of discord and strife".
The site is venerated by Jews as the last remnant of wall supporting the Second Temple complex, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
On its other side is the compound housing the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
Also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the compound is a deeply sensitive location where clashes frequently break out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces.
Protests near the Israeli embassy in Amman
Dozens of activists staged a sit-in near the Israeli embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman on Thursday evening in protest against the Israeli continued settlement expansion in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
The participants chanted slogans in support of the Palestinian steadfastness and the Palestinian national anthem.
The intensive presence of the Jordanian security forces prevented the participants to protest outside the Israeli embassy, so they staged their sit-in in the courtyard of Kaloti mosque.
A number of academics, politicians and youth activists participated in the sit-in holding banners calling for boycotting the Israeli products and the closing of the Israeli embassy.
The weekly protest, each Thursday, came in rejection to the presence of the Israeli embassy in Amman and Wadi Araba agreement.
The participants chanted slogans in support of the Palestinian steadfastness and the Palestinian national anthem.
The intensive presence of the Jordanian security forces prevented the participants to protest outside the Israeli embassy, so they staged their sit-in in the courtyard of Kaloti mosque.
A number of academics, politicians and youth activists participated in the sit-in holding banners calling for boycotting the Israeli products and the closing of the Israeli embassy.
The weekly protest, each Thursday, came in rejection to the presence of the Israeli embassy in Amman and Wadi Araba agreement.
11 apr 2013
Mother, daughter suspected of swindling elderly out of millions
Daughter hides in court
Two arrested on suspicion of systematically targeting elderly, stealing their money, property valued at millions. Police: some victims ended up begging on streets, They ruled by fear
A mother and daughter were arrested on suspicion they exploited senior citizens, stealing their money and property to the tune of millions of shekels. Police said several of their victims ended up begging on the streets for food and money.
In on case which especially shocked detectives, an old man was forced to sign his apartment over to them; he eventually admitted himself into a psychiatric hospital to escape them. The two were arrested at the end of an undercover investigation by the Central Unit of the Tel Aviv District Police under Commander Gadi Eshel. On Thursday they appeared before a judge at the Tel Aviv District Court for a remand hearing.
The investigation spanned three months and was conducted by a team under the command of Superintendent Moshe Avital, who collected testimonies from five people, in addition to a number of professionals, including social workers and bank clerks.
Arrests began with the daughter, 28, who was employed as a caretaker to an elderly woman. In the course of the investigation it was revealed that her mother, 54, was also involved in the incidents.
The two would “spot” victims suited for their plan – elderly, alone, in need of nursing care and eligible for insurance benefits. In several instances, their victims were Holocaust survivors who received government stipends. Their method of action: the mother-daughter team would contact victims and introduce themselves as nursing caretakers. They forced one of the elderly men in their care to put his apartment in their names, and then sold it.
They took another old woman under their care to the bank several times, and forced her to withdraw hundreds of thousands of shekels. A third victim was made to transfer NIS 80,000 to them, in addition to diamonds valued at tens of thousands of shekels.
Other victims were forced to empty their retirement funds and transfer the money to the women's accounts. During the investigation, testimony was given by bank clerks who tried to dissuade the victims from doing so, but to no avail.
“They used fear and threats against the victims, who tried in every way they knew to break free of them,” said police Chief Superintendent Nisim Daudi.
Two arrested on suspicion of systematically targeting elderly, stealing their money, property valued at millions. Police: some victims ended up begging on streets, They ruled by fear
A mother and daughter were arrested on suspicion they exploited senior citizens, stealing their money and property to the tune of millions of shekels. Police said several of their victims ended up begging on the streets for food and money.
In on case which especially shocked detectives, an old man was forced to sign his apartment over to them; he eventually admitted himself into a psychiatric hospital to escape them. The two were arrested at the end of an undercover investigation by the Central Unit of the Tel Aviv District Police under Commander Gadi Eshel. On Thursday they appeared before a judge at the Tel Aviv District Court for a remand hearing.
The investigation spanned three months and was conducted by a team under the command of Superintendent Moshe Avital, who collected testimonies from five people, in addition to a number of professionals, including social workers and bank clerks.
Arrests began with the daughter, 28, who was employed as a caretaker to an elderly woman. In the course of the investigation it was revealed that her mother, 54, was also involved in the incidents.
The two would “spot” victims suited for their plan – elderly, alone, in need of nursing care and eligible for insurance benefits. In several instances, their victims were Holocaust survivors who received government stipends. Their method of action: the mother-daughter team would contact victims and introduce themselves as nursing caretakers. They forced one of the elderly men in their care to put his apartment in their names, and then sold it.
They took another old woman under their care to the bank several times, and forced her to withdraw hundreds of thousands of shekels. A third victim was made to transfer NIS 80,000 to them, in addition to diamonds valued at tens of thousands of shekels.
Other victims were forced to empty their retirement funds and transfer the money to the women's accounts. During the investigation, testimony was given by bank clerks who tried to dissuade the victims from doing so, but to no avail.
“They used fear and threats against the victims, who tried in every way they knew to break free of them,” said police Chief Superintendent Nisim Daudi.
Hate mail to Bennett: You'll end up like Sharon
Naftali Bennett
Economy Ministry receives threatening letter directed at Minister Bennett; 'Pulsa diNura was invoked,' letter says, warns 'not to play with haredim'
The Economy Ministry received hate mail Thursday morning from an unknown sender who wished Minister Naftali Bennett that "a curse will be visited upon your house; you'll die young after a bitter life."
The ministry's security chief filed a complaint with the police.
The letter's closing remark was: "All those who hurt the haredim achieved glory, but you'll end up like (Ariel) Sharon."
The ministry estimated the letter is related to the recently proposed outline for equal share of the burden, which includes a haredi draft.
"To Bennett Naftali, a curse and not a blessing," the letter opens.
"You'll die young. A Pulsa diNura has been invoked, you'll end up like Sharon. Fearful illusions will strike you when you're in public.
"From this day on your life is ruined. It may not look like it, but your body language says it all. Those who laid you waste depart from you – and this calf, the dead Bennett, also departs, as well as your children…"
At the end of the letter the author hints at its background: "You should not play with the Torah leaders: They shed one tear and you're paralyzed for life."
On Wednesday, Bennett presented a plan to integrate haredim in the workforce, including a refund of occupational training for haredim who acquire a profession and find a job. These will also receive a grant for their efforts.
The new intiatives have raised an uproar in the haredi sector, and haredi Knesset members and the haredi media stepped up their rhetoric against Bennett, who has been referred to as "Satan" and "Amalek."
In March, MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) accused Bennett of "declaring war on the Torah world," and lately Shas MK Aryeh Deri's son issued a statement which said: "Remember what Habayit Hayehudi did to you," alluding to Amalek.
Economy Ministry receives threatening letter directed at Minister Bennett; 'Pulsa diNura was invoked,' letter says, warns 'not to play with haredim'
The Economy Ministry received hate mail Thursday morning from an unknown sender who wished Minister Naftali Bennett that "a curse will be visited upon your house; you'll die young after a bitter life."
The ministry's security chief filed a complaint with the police.
The letter's closing remark was: "All those who hurt the haredim achieved glory, but you'll end up like (Ariel) Sharon."
The ministry estimated the letter is related to the recently proposed outline for equal share of the burden, which includes a haredi draft.
"To Bennett Naftali, a curse and not a blessing," the letter opens.
"You'll die young. A Pulsa diNura has been invoked, you'll end up like Sharon. Fearful illusions will strike you when you're in public.
"From this day on your life is ruined. It may not look like it, but your body language says it all. Those who laid you waste depart from you – and this calf, the dead Bennett, also departs, as well as your children…"
At the end of the letter the author hints at its background: "You should not play with the Torah leaders: They shed one tear and you're paralyzed for life."
On Wednesday, Bennett presented a plan to integrate haredim in the workforce, including a refund of occupational training for haredim who acquire a profession and find a job. These will also receive a grant for their efforts.
The new intiatives have raised an uproar in the haredi sector, and haredi Knesset members and the haredi media stepped up their rhetoric against Bennett, who has been referred to as "Satan" and "Amalek."
In March, MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) accused Bennett of "declaring war on the Torah world," and lately Shas MK Aryeh Deri's son issued a statement which said: "Remember what Habayit Hayehudi did to you," alluding to Amalek.
Mother tries to drown 3-year-old son, arrested
Police apprehend mother, her wrists cut, as she tried to drown son in sea near Ashdod; woman denies allegations
A woman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to drown her 3-year-old son in the sea near Ashdod.
No harm was caused to the child. His mother will be brought for a remand hearing in Ashkelon's Magistrate's Court.
On Wednesday, police was alerted a citizen who saw a woman apparently cutting her wrists at the Ashdod beach. Upon their arrival, the police officers saw the woman, her hands bleeding, in the sea holding her son. The officers took the child and sent the woman to receive medical care.
The child is currently with his grandmother. The mother denied the allegations in her interrogation. "It's scary to think a mother can hurt her child, but we've seen similar cases before," said Ashdod Police Chief Superintendent Noam Shekel. "We'll keep working to prevent dangers such as these," he added.
In another incident on Tuesday, police interrogated a 47-year-old woman, apparently mentally ill, who arrived at the station and revealed she had attempted to drown her 13-year-old daughter and pour boiling water on her.
According to her, both attempts failed. The teen, who is staying with a foster family, confirmed her story. The mother's remand was extended until Friday.
Related stories:
A woman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to drown her 3-year-old son in the sea near Ashdod.
No harm was caused to the child. His mother will be brought for a remand hearing in Ashkelon's Magistrate's Court.
On Wednesday, police was alerted a citizen who saw a woman apparently cutting her wrists at the Ashdod beach. Upon their arrival, the police officers saw the woman, her hands bleeding, in the sea holding her son. The officers took the child and sent the woman to receive medical care.
The child is currently with his grandmother. The mother denied the allegations in her interrogation. "It's scary to think a mother can hurt her child, but we've seen similar cases before," said Ashdod Police Chief Superintendent Noam Shekel. "We'll keep working to prevent dangers such as these," he added.
In another incident on Tuesday, police interrogated a 47-year-old woman, apparently mentally ill, who arrived at the station and revealed she had attempted to drown her 13-year-old daughter and pour boiling water on her.
According to her, both attempts failed. The teen, who is staying with a foster family, confirmed her story. The mother's remand was extended until Friday.
Related stories:
10 apr 2013
5 suspected of racist attack against Ethiopians
Police believe five young men from south Tel Aviv beat two Israelis of Ethiopian descent thinking they were migrants. Officers say they have no doubt assaults were racially-motivated
Five youngsters from south Tel Aviv were arrested on suspicion they assaulted two Israelis of Ethiopian descent thinking they were migrants. Police suspect the motive for the assaults was racist.
The investigation was launched after one of the victims filed a complaint claiming he was beaten and robbed of his mobile phone.
According to police, the five men attacked the victim having noticed the color of his skin, beat him with a blunt object and fled the scene. The victim was rushed to the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
During questioning, it was discovered that the five were also involved in assaults against another Ethiopian man as well as an Eritrean migrant.
The two other victims did not require medical attention. Police sources said they have no doubt that the attacks were racially-motivated.
Four of the suspects, two teens aged 17, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old, were arrested on Tuesday. They were remanded in custody for two days. The fifth suspect, aged 19, was arrested Wednesday.
Related Stories:
Five youngsters from south Tel Aviv were arrested on suspicion they assaulted two Israelis of Ethiopian descent thinking they were migrants. Police suspect the motive for the assaults was racist.
The investigation was launched after one of the victims filed a complaint claiming he was beaten and robbed of his mobile phone.
According to police, the five men attacked the victim having noticed the color of his skin, beat him with a blunt object and fled the scene. The victim was rushed to the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
During questioning, it was discovered that the five were also involved in assaults against another Ethiopian man as well as an Eritrean migrant.
The two other victims did not require medical attention. Police sources said they have no doubt that the attacks were racially-motivated.
Four of the suspects, two teens aged 17, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old, were arrested on Tuesday. They were remanded in custody for two days. The fifth suspect, aged 19, was arrested Wednesday.
Related Stories:
Erdogan postpones Gaza visit at Obama's urging
Following meeting with Kerry, Turkish premier announces he'll visit Gaza after trip to Washington in mid-May, Turkish media reports
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will probably visit Gaza after his trip to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama on May 16, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported. Asked about his Gaza trip by a journalist flying with him to Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan said: “It will probably take place after my visit to America."
The statement comes days after the Turkish premier met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Istanbul. Kerry advised the Turks to consider the timing of the Gaza visit and urged local leaders to fully restore diplomatic ties with Israel. Immediately after Israel apologized to Turkey over the IDF raid on the Mavi Marmara, Erdogan announced his plans to visit Gaza in April. However it appears Kerry's visit affected the his plans.
In Istanbul on the first leg of a 10-day overseas trip, Kerry met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu with the aim of firming up the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel that President Barack Obama kick-started during a visit to the Jewish state last month.
"We would like to see this relationship that is important to stability in the Middle East and critical to the peace process ... get back on track in its full measure," Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with Davutoglu. He said that meant promises of "compensation be fulfilled, ambassadors be returned and full relations be embraced."
Kerry said he would return to Turkey in two weeks in order to discuss the situation in Syria.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will probably visit Gaza after his trip to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama on May 16, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported. Asked about his Gaza trip by a journalist flying with him to Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan said: “It will probably take place after my visit to America."
The statement comes days after the Turkish premier met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Istanbul. Kerry advised the Turks to consider the timing of the Gaza visit and urged local leaders to fully restore diplomatic ties with Israel. Immediately after Israel apologized to Turkey over the IDF raid on the Mavi Marmara, Erdogan announced his plans to visit Gaza in April. However it appears Kerry's visit affected the his plans.
In Istanbul on the first leg of a 10-day overseas trip, Kerry met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu with the aim of firming up the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel that President Barack Obama kick-started during a visit to the Jewish state last month.
"We would like to see this relationship that is important to stability in the Middle East and critical to the peace process ... get back on track in its full measure," Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with Davutoglu. He said that meant promises of "compensation be fulfilled, ambassadors be returned and full relations be embraced."
Kerry said he would return to Turkey in two weeks in order to discuss the situation in Syria.
Teacher demonstrates Nazi selection process in classroom
The Haifa school
Third grade educator singles out students from former Soviet Union to show Nazi selection process. Irate parents say her 'pedagogic process is unclear and even appalling'
Racism in Israel 2013: Parents who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union and their third grade children attending a Haifa school, were shocked this week by a lesson given by their Hebrew teacher.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, she chose to demonstrate the Nazi selection process between Jews and non-Jews, by using light-haired children.
One mother said "my son arrived from school and asked me 'mom, am I even Jewish?' I didn't understand where this question came from. At first I thought it was because we saw Holocaust movies. I started talking to him and then he told me what happened. The day after, he told me that one of the girls said that he and the rest of the blond children are German."
The mother also said "we come from a Jewish family, my grandmother's sister died in the war and so did other relatives of mine. To go and say that the blond children are like the Nazis is strange. I suggest that the school conduct a thorough examination with this teacher and take measures against her if necessary."
Another mother said "my son may not understand the insult, and I also made sure that he won't understand or be insulted, but other children are laughing at them. How could the teacher say something like this? These children were born here, in Israel. Can she tell by the color of their skin who is Jewish and who is not? You would think that there weren't blond children in Europe who were killed in the Holocaust." Another mother described the situation as her daughter relayed it to her: "The teacher spoke with the children about Holocaust Remembrance Day.
She explained that the Nazis identified the Jews and chose them, according to skin, hair and eye color. She chose six blond children, all of whom immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union, and asked them to stand in a line facing the class. "The teacher herself, who has dark skin and hair, asked the rest of the children in the class to explain the differences between her and the children standing in the row.
They started answering 'they have blond hair and you have black' and 'they have light skin and you have dark.' She answered. 'Very true, that is the reason, these children would not have been taken to the ghetto or killed, because they don't look like Jews rather more like Germans,'" said the shocked mother. At the end of the school day, the children came home and asked difficult questions.
"My daughter's friend got home. Her mother was at work and she asked her grandmother 'we don't look like Jews?' The grandmother did not understand what she wanted, as they have been Jews for generations. The entire family. She called her daughter and after she heard what happened, she told me," said the grandmother. According to the parents, as a result of the lesson, the next day one of the students in the class called one of the blond children chosen to demonstrate a "German".
'Pedagogic process is unclear' The six children's families appealed in a letter to the Education Ministry, the Haifa Municipality and to Knesset members from the Education Committee and asked them to intervene. "At their age, children establish themselves and their confidence. Their absorption into society is difficult as it is and the incident didn't add to their confidence at all. Who gave that teacher the right to harm our children!?"
The parents also wrote in the letter that the "pedagogic process is unclear and even appalling. It is hard for us to believe that these are the processes the teacher learned in the teachers' seminar on the Holocaust." One of the mothers described the hard feelings: "I had a difficult aliyah process.
For years I couldn't study Hebrew well, and everywhere I went I heard 'stinking Russian, go back to Russia.' It hurt, but I knew that my children would not undergo the same thing. My children were born in Israel, their mother tongue is Hebrew, their holidays are Passover and Sukkot. I did not think that the day would come that they are pointed out, and that they will stand in front of the class, to be distinguished from the "Jews."
According to another mother, "at the beginning, the children themselves did not understand how severe this is. We only understood through their questions and began asking them and then what happened in this incident was clear. I think that it is simply unbelievable. It can't be that a teacher can do such a thing; thoughtlessly and insensitively. The fact is that the next day while playing, they called one of the children a 'German'."
The Education Ministry responded: "in light of the incident the district director, Rachel Matuki, spoke with the teacher and noted before her that there is no place for this kind of behavior in general and in the education system specifically. "The teacher has expressed her regret and noted that she expresses her deep apologies for the incident. The teacher and school counselor are holding discussions with the students in order to create an honorable environment and tolerance in the classrooms and at the school."
Third grade educator singles out students from former Soviet Union to show Nazi selection process. Irate parents say her 'pedagogic process is unclear and even appalling'
Racism in Israel 2013: Parents who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union and their third grade children attending a Haifa school, were shocked this week by a lesson given by their Hebrew teacher.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, she chose to demonstrate the Nazi selection process between Jews and non-Jews, by using light-haired children.
One mother said "my son arrived from school and asked me 'mom, am I even Jewish?' I didn't understand where this question came from. At first I thought it was because we saw Holocaust movies. I started talking to him and then he told me what happened. The day after, he told me that one of the girls said that he and the rest of the blond children are German."
The mother also said "we come from a Jewish family, my grandmother's sister died in the war and so did other relatives of mine. To go and say that the blond children are like the Nazis is strange. I suggest that the school conduct a thorough examination with this teacher and take measures against her if necessary."
Another mother said "my son may not understand the insult, and I also made sure that he won't understand or be insulted, but other children are laughing at them. How could the teacher say something like this? These children were born here, in Israel. Can she tell by the color of their skin who is Jewish and who is not? You would think that there weren't blond children in Europe who were killed in the Holocaust." Another mother described the situation as her daughter relayed it to her: "The teacher spoke with the children about Holocaust Remembrance Day.
She explained that the Nazis identified the Jews and chose them, according to skin, hair and eye color. She chose six blond children, all of whom immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union, and asked them to stand in a line facing the class. "The teacher herself, who has dark skin and hair, asked the rest of the children in the class to explain the differences between her and the children standing in the row.
They started answering 'they have blond hair and you have black' and 'they have light skin and you have dark.' She answered. 'Very true, that is the reason, these children would not have been taken to the ghetto or killed, because they don't look like Jews rather more like Germans,'" said the shocked mother. At the end of the school day, the children came home and asked difficult questions.
"My daughter's friend got home. Her mother was at work and she asked her grandmother 'we don't look like Jews?' The grandmother did not understand what she wanted, as they have been Jews for generations. The entire family. She called her daughter and after she heard what happened, she told me," said the grandmother. According to the parents, as a result of the lesson, the next day one of the students in the class called one of the blond children chosen to demonstrate a "German".
'Pedagogic process is unclear' The six children's families appealed in a letter to the Education Ministry, the Haifa Municipality and to Knesset members from the Education Committee and asked them to intervene. "At their age, children establish themselves and their confidence. Their absorption into society is difficult as it is and the incident didn't add to their confidence at all. Who gave that teacher the right to harm our children!?"
The parents also wrote in the letter that the "pedagogic process is unclear and even appalling. It is hard for us to believe that these are the processes the teacher learned in the teachers' seminar on the Holocaust." One of the mothers described the hard feelings: "I had a difficult aliyah process.
For years I couldn't study Hebrew well, and everywhere I went I heard 'stinking Russian, go back to Russia.' It hurt, but I knew that my children would not undergo the same thing. My children were born in Israel, their mother tongue is Hebrew, their holidays are Passover and Sukkot. I did not think that the day would come that they are pointed out, and that they will stand in front of the class, to be distinguished from the "Jews."
According to another mother, "at the beginning, the children themselves did not understand how severe this is. We only understood through their questions and began asking them and then what happened in this incident was clear. I think that it is simply unbelievable. It can't be that a teacher can do such a thing; thoughtlessly and insensitively. The fact is that the next day while playing, they called one of the children a 'German'."
The Education Ministry responded: "in light of the incident the district director, Rachel Matuki, spoke with the teacher and noted before her that there is no place for this kind of behavior in general and in the education system specifically. "The teacher has expressed her regret and noted that she expresses her deep apologies for the incident. The teacher and school counselor are holding discussions with the students in order to create an honorable environment and tolerance in the classrooms and at the school."
Woman suspected of trying to drown 13-year-old daughter
Police launch investigation after woman turns herself in, suspect further abuse
A Jerusalem resident was arrested Tuesday on suspicion she tried to drown her thirteen-year-old daughter in the sea.
Police suspect that earlier this week the woman, a 47-year-old divorced mother of two, drove her daughter to a beach in Tel Aviv where she tried to drown her. The teen managed to escape.
It is also suspected that on a different occasion the mother poured boiling water on the girl.
The investigation was launched after the woman turned herself in. The daughter, who lives with a foster family, confirmed her mother's story.
The suspect was remanded in custody for four days and sent for a psychiatric evaluation.
The woman's attorney said in response, "It is yet unclear whether the suspicions are accurate. It is important to note that she sought the police out in order to get help."
Related stories:
A Jerusalem resident was arrested Tuesday on suspicion she tried to drown her thirteen-year-old daughter in the sea.
Police suspect that earlier this week the woman, a 47-year-old divorced mother of two, drove her daughter to a beach in Tel Aviv where she tried to drown her. The teen managed to escape.
It is also suspected that on a different occasion the mother poured boiling water on the girl.
The investigation was launched after the woman turned herself in. The daughter, who lives with a foster family, confirmed her mother's story.
The suspect was remanded in custody for four days and sent for a psychiatric evaluation.
The woman's attorney said in response, "It is yet unclear whether the suspicions are accurate. It is important to note that she sought the police out in order to get help."
Related stories: