30 dec 2017
The UNESCO has been formally notified of Israel’s withdrawal from the organization, two months after it announced it would follow the US by walking out over resolutions on Palestine.
In a statement UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said she had been officially notified on Friday that Israel would leave on December 31, 2018.
“I regret this deeply, as it is my conviction that it is inside UNESCO and not outside it that states can best seek to overcome differences in the organization’s fields of competence,” she said.
Recently, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would leave the organization, two months after the US formally announced its own withdrawal due to pro-Palestine resolutions passed by UNESCO members.
In a statement UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said she had been officially notified on Friday that Israel would leave on December 31, 2018.
“I regret this deeply, as it is my conviction that it is inside UNESCO and not outside it that states can best seek to overcome differences in the organization’s fields of competence,” she said.
Recently, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would leave the organization, two months after the US formally announced its own withdrawal due to pro-Palestine resolutions passed by UNESCO members.
Several historical documents published lately have revealed that the former Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, had filed a request in the past to obtain Palestinian citizenship.
According to Radio "24", the documents tell that Peres was a farmer when he arrived in Palestine coming from Belarus in 1937.
Peres' signature appears clearly in the citizenship application which includes a statement saying, "I swear to be faithful and loyal to the government of Palestine."
Related: Video, Golda Meir, who served as Israeli prime minister in 1969 says she carried a Palestinian passport.
According to Radio "24", the documents tell that Peres was a farmer when he arrived in Palestine coming from Belarus in 1937.
Peres' signature appears clearly in the citizenship application which includes a statement saying, "I swear to be faithful and loyal to the government of Palestine."
Related: Video, Golda Meir, who served as Israeli prime minister in 1969 says she carried a Palestinian passport.
29 dec 2017
Israel purchased a sewage treatment system for Nauru, a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean, only two weeks before the country voted against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
According to the website of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the Israeli foreign ministry's tenders committee approved the purchase of the sewage treatment plant at a cost $71,997 without a tender.
While Nauru is only 21 square kilometers in size with a population of a mere 11,359 people, it still has a vote at the UN equal to that of the US, Russia and China.
According to the website of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the Israeli foreign ministry's tenders committee approved the purchase of the sewage treatment plant at a cost $71,997 without a tender.
While Nauru is only 21 square kilometers in size with a population of a mere 11,359 people, it still has a vote at the UN equal to that of the US, Russia and China.
23 dec 2017
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his envoy to the UNESCO to submit a formal letter announcing Israel’s intent to leave the cultural organization.
Israeli envoy Carmel Shama-Hacohen will present the letter to UNESCO’s new leader Audrey Azoulay after the Christmas holiday. Israel will officially depart the UN body at the end of 2018, in accordance with UNESCO rules, according to Israeli newspapers.
Netanyahu's decision to withdraw from the organization came at the heels of Thursday's special UN General Assembly vote, passing a resolution which declared with overwhelming majority that Washington's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as Israel's capital is "null and void" and should be "rescinded immediately."
Last October, Netanyahu, who also holds the foreign affairs portfolio, announced he would start preparations for Israel’s withdrawal from the UNESCO on allegations that its resolutions were biased against the Jewish people.
He took this decision after the UNESCO Executive Board adopted last October a resolution on “Occupied Palestine”
The resolution denounced Israeli actions at the Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron), and the Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque (Rachel’s Tomb) in Bethlehem, and demanded Israel, as an occupying power, to protect and respect the Islamic historical status of these holy sites.
Israeli envoy Carmel Shama-Hacohen will present the letter to UNESCO’s new leader Audrey Azoulay after the Christmas holiday. Israel will officially depart the UN body at the end of 2018, in accordance with UNESCO rules, according to Israeli newspapers.
Netanyahu's decision to withdraw from the organization came at the heels of Thursday's special UN General Assembly vote, passing a resolution which declared with overwhelming majority that Washington's recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as Israel's capital is "null and void" and should be "rescinded immediately."
Last October, Netanyahu, who also holds the foreign affairs portfolio, announced he would start preparations for Israel’s withdrawal from the UNESCO on allegations that its resolutions were biased against the Jewish people.
He took this decision after the UNESCO Executive Board adopted last October a resolution on “Occupied Palestine”
The resolution denounced Israeli actions at the Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron), and the Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque (Rachel’s Tomb) in Bethlehem, and demanded Israel, as an occupying power, to protect and respect the Islamic historical status of these holy sites.
22 dec 2017
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked Head of the Israeli Knesset, David Amsalem, to promote the nationality bill, which considers Arabs as second-class citizens.
On Wednesday, Amsalem replaced MK David Bitan, who stepped down from the position, amid a corruption investigation against him.
“The first mission of the coalition chairman, MK Amsalem, will be to pass the nationality bill, one of the most important pieces of legislation that will enter Israel’s history books,” Netanyahu said, according to Days of Palestine.
The bill proposal, first submitted 4 years ago by Likud MK Avi Dichter, seeks to enshrine, as a basic law, the concept that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. The legislation determines that all Israeli law must be interpreted according to this principle.
As discriminatory towards Arab-Israelis (the Palestinians who remained home during the Israeli ethnic cleansing in the 1940s), the bill specifies some of the practical aspects of Israel being the nation-state of the Jewish people.
It recognizes and prioritizes the Judaization of state symbols, claims Jerusalem as the capital, Hebrew as the official language, the right of Jews to easily migrate to Israel, Jewish settlement, relations with the Jews abroad, the Hebrew calendar and holy sites.
Netanyahu requested to complete a first reading before the Knesset adjourns for the summer. However, Eyal Yinon, the Knesset’s legal advisor, informed Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein that a proposal such as this cannot be advanced on such a short schedule.
11/14/17 Netanyahu is Redefining Ethnic Cleansing, Not Pursuing Genuine Peace
On Wednesday, Amsalem replaced MK David Bitan, who stepped down from the position, amid a corruption investigation against him.
“The first mission of the coalition chairman, MK Amsalem, will be to pass the nationality bill, one of the most important pieces of legislation that will enter Israel’s history books,” Netanyahu said, according to Days of Palestine.
The bill proposal, first submitted 4 years ago by Likud MK Avi Dichter, seeks to enshrine, as a basic law, the concept that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. The legislation determines that all Israeli law must be interpreted according to this principle.
As discriminatory towards Arab-Israelis (the Palestinians who remained home during the Israeli ethnic cleansing in the 1940s), the bill specifies some of the practical aspects of Israel being the nation-state of the Jewish people.
It recognizes and prioritizes the Judaization of state symbols, claims Jerusalem as the capital, Hebrew as the official language, the right of Jews to easily migrate to Israel, Jewish settlement, relations with the Jews abroad, the Hebrew calendar and holy sites.
Netanyahu requested to complete a first reading before the Knesset adjourns for the summer. However, Eyal Yinon, the Knesset’s legal advisor, informed Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein that a proposal such as this cannot be advanced on such a short schedule.
11/14/17 Netanyahu is Redefining Ethnic Cleansing, Not Pursuing Genuine Peace
21 dec 2017
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12 dec 2017
Members of the Moroccan parliament on Monday condemned the US president Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem which he has recently recognized as the capital of Israel.
During a parliament session held on Monday and attended by the Palestinian ambassador to Morocco, they called for activating a bill criminalizing normalization with Israel that has been frozen for more than four years.
According to the Moroccan newspaper Lakom, Habib El Malki, the president of the House of Representatives, said that Trump's decision disregards the United Nations and its resolutions and lacks legitimacy and credibility.
He added that by this move the US has chosen to be a rival rather than a mediator in the negotiation process.
For his part, the president of the House of Counselors, Hakim Benchamach, said in statements quoted by the Moroccan newspaper that the US decision goes in line with the Balfour Declaration and threatens the stability of the international security.
MP for the Democratic Leftist Federation, Omar Balafrej, revealed that the statistics issued by the French-Israeli Chamber of Commerce show that the volume of trade exchanges between Morocco and Israel amounts to $4 million per month.
Balafrej during the meeting supported activating a bill to criminalize normalization with Israel and called for a serious study of the US latest move.
The Moroccan capital of Rabat on Sunday witnessed a mass popular demonstration against the US decision.
Donald Trump on Wednesday officially declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and unveiled his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem amid Arab and Islamic condemnation and international concerns.
During a parliament session held on Monday and attended by the Palestinian ambassador to Morocco, they called for activating a bill criminalizing normalization with Israel that has been frozen for more than four years.
According to the Moroccan newspaper Lakom, Habib El Malki, the president of the House of Representatives, said that Trump's decision disregards the United Nations and its resolutions and lacks legitimacy and credibility.
He added that by this move the US has chosen to be a rival rather than a mediator in the negotiation process.
For his part, the president of the House of Counselors, Hakim Benchamach, said in statements quoted by the Moroccan newspaper that the US decision goes in line with the Balfour Declaration and threatens the stability of the international security.
MP for the Democratic Leftist Federation, Omar Balafrej, revealed that the statistics issued by the French-Israeli Chamber of Commerce show that the volume of trade exchanges between Morocco and Israel amounts to $4 million per month.
Balafrej during the meeting supported activating a bill to criminalize normalization with Israel and called for a serious study of the US latest move.
The Moroccan capital of Rabat on Sunday witnessed a mass popular demonstration against the US decision.
Donald Trump on Wednesday officially declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and unveiled his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem amid Arab and Islamic condemnation and international concerns.
Foreign ministers of European Union (EU) states have strongly rejected calls by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, for them to follow Donald Trump’s move and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
This opposition from across the European spectrum came as Netanyahu made the first official trip to the EU by a sitting Israeli premier in 22 years.
Even the Czech Republic, one of Israel’s closest allies, said the US president’s decision was bad for peace efforts. France said Jerusalem’s status could be agreed only in a final deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Czech foreign minister, Lubomir Zaoralek, said on Monday that Trump’s announcement last week “can’t help us.”
“I am convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution,” Zaoralek said, according to Reuters, as he and other European foreign ministers gathered for breakfast with Netanyahu. “We are talking about an Israeli state, but at the same time a Palestinian state.”
After a breakfast meeting between Netanyahu and EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Sweden’s foreign minister Margot Wallstrom said no European at the closed-door meeting had voiced support for Trump’s decision, and no country was likely to follow the US in announcing plans to move its embassy.
“I have a hard time seeing that any other country would do that and I don’t think any other EU country will do it,” Wallstrom told reporters.
Although some EU states are seemingly unclear about their attitudes toward Israel, but the EU’s official position is that it supports what Federica Mogherini, its foreign policy chief, called the “international consensus” from which Trump departed last week when he announced a reversal of decades of American diplomacy.
Mogherini voiced this position during a news conference held on Monday at the European Council headquarters in Brussels in the presence of Netanyahu.
This opposition from across the European spectrum came as Netanyahu made the first official trip to the EU by a sitting Israeli premier in 22 years.
Even the Czech Republic, one of Israel’s closest allies, said the US president’s decision was bad for peace efforts. France said Jerusalem’s status could be agreed only in a final deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Czech foreign minister, Lubomir Zaoralek, said on Monday that Trump’s announcement last week “can’t help us.”
“I am convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution,” Zaoralek said, according to Reuters, as he and other European foreign ministers gathered for breakfast with Netanyahu. “We are talking about an Israeli state, but at the same time a Palestinian state.”
After a breakfast meeting between Netanyahu and EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Sweden’s foreign minister Margot Wallstrom said no European at the closed-door meeting had voiced support for Trump’s decision, and no country was likely to follow the US in announcing plans to move its embassy.
“I have a hard time seeing that any other country would do that and I don’t think any other EU country will do it,” Wallstrom told reporters.
Although some EU states are seemingly unclear about their attitudes toward Israel, but the EU’s official position is that it supports what Federica Mogherini, its foreign policy chief, called the “international consensus” from which Trump departed last week when he announced a reversal of decades of American diplomacy.
Mogherini voiced this position during a news conference held on Monday at the European Council headquarters in Brussels in the presence of Netanyahu.
11 dec 2017
Following the Defense Minister's call to boycott Wadi Ara in an attempt to make its residents 'feel unwanted here' following Saturday's riots in the area, both Arab and Jewish residents of the region express their furor, urge coexistence.
Both Jews and Israeli Arabs slammed Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's calls Sunday to boycott the residents of Wadi Ara and his assertion they were not part of the State of Israel.
Lieberman's comments came in the wake of the violent rioting in Wadi Ara on Saturday, during which rioters threw stones at police cars and buses in the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"Lieberman started his life as a racist, so let him continue his racist politics. We'll ignore him, but we have to stress there is coexistence in Wadi Ara," said Ar'ara resident Melhem Melhem. "Neither Lieberman nor a thousand like him can hurt this coexistence. I hope his term doesn't long for too long. He's causing harm both to the state and its citizens."
Melhem went on to say that "Jews and Arabs will continue living and working alongside each other. This is our shared fate. No one gives any credence to his comments. The sane people in this country won't take his comments seriously."
Taufiq Hassan, who owns a bakery in Ar'ara, echoed Melhem's remarks. "I opened my business in the Wadi Ara area, a lot of Jews come to me. I also live among the Wadi Ara population—Ar'ara, Kafr Qara, Umm al-Fahm—and they're all incredible people who are looking for a good and quiet life. Everyone treats guests excellent."
Raja Samer, another resident of the area, added, "Lieberman's comments won't hurt anything. People here love living together. We don't need to pay any mind to a party leader who tries to spoil the relations between the two peoples. It's not a good sign."
"It is detrimental to the coexistence that has been going on in the region for more than 40 years," said Husam Abbas, one of the owners of the Al-Babor restaurant in Umm al-Fahm. "His statements are appropriate for a punk and not for the defense minister. I do not believe a statement by him will succeed in influencing our customers, it will only influence the extreme right. Everyone was a guest here, from Ariel Sharon to Netanyahu when he was still in the opposition."
And it wasn't just the Israeli Arabs who came out against the defense minister's comments.
"I don't want to boycott the people I see as my friends," said Katzir resident Ricardo Kleinman. "Those who made the mess should pay for it, but not all of Wadi Ara. Especially as I'm welcomed with open arms in Kafr Qara."
Meni, also a resident of Katzir, shared Kleinman's feelings. "Israeli Arabs don't care what city is the capital. This isn't a matter of sanctity, so it shouldn't bother anyone. Yesterday, there was rioting so I tried not to leave the home, but today it's quiet and I came to Kafr Qara to do my shopping," Meni said.
Fellow Katzir resident Yaakov Haziza added, "There's no reason to pay any mind to Lieberman's comments. Each nation and group should develop resistance to inflammatory comments. I live in Wadi Ara, and Lieberman doesn't interest me at all, and neither does Trump. I suggest those who throw stones to also pay it no mind."
At the Aroma Espresso Bar at the Kfar Kara junction, several Jewish residents of the area sat and defended the importance of coexistence. "The moment my neighbor is having a bad time, I will have a bad time," said Hezi, a resident of Katzir.
"They are citizens of the state and they have all the rights as such. I also have clients from the sector and there is no chance that I will change my habits towards them because of Lieberman's statement."
Uri Arieli of Sha'ar HaAmakim also expressed his anger: "The new generation of Israeli Arabs is in favor of rapprochement with the state. Only a small minority was responsible for what happened (on Saturday)."
But despite their optimism, a tour along the Wadi Ara route revealed yesterday the tense atmosphere, characterized by the absence of a Jewish presence in the businesses belonging to residents of the Wadi.
In the morning, Ahmed Mahagna, the owner of a bakery in Wadi Ara, was optimistic and said with a smile: "Just wait; Jews come here every five minutes to buy our baked goods."
But after more than half an hour that no Jewish customer had entered the bakery, he changed his tone and realized that apparently they would not arrive today.
Sabrin Ahmed Mahajna, who works with him, stood behind the orphaned donuts who had remained on the tray since Sunday and waited for the Jewish customers who usually snatch them with delight.
"If both leftists and rightists are attacking me—then apparently I am right," Lieberman responded Sunday to criticism against him.
"I have never seen anyone in Wadi Ara with an Israeli flag. That's why they have to understand that they are not wanted here," he said, adding that Wadi Ara residents should prove they are part of Israel by publically condemning Saturday's protests.
Yedioth photographer meets with Arab leaders after 'near lynch'
Gil Nechushtan, a photographer for Yedioth Ahronoth, was fired up when meeting with public figures from the villages near Wadi Ara.
Nechushtan, who was nearly lynched in the violent protest and was still riled up over the chilling incident, opened the conversation with an angry accusation: "You could have helped and stop the riots in a matter of minutes."
When Nechushtan arrived to cover the demonstration on Saturday evening, dozens of masked men attacked him and wrecked his motorcycle.
"Throughout my years as a photographer I have been caught in countless demonstrations, but none of them prepared me for what happened on Shabbat in the heart of the State of Israel," he wrote after the event.
Four influential figures from the city of Umm al-Fahm arrived at the meeting: Faisal Mahajna, the brother of the acting mayor and a well-known public activist, Kamel Agbaria, former head of the Clalit Medical Clinic in Umm al-Fahm, Dr. Afu Agbaria, a former Hadash MK and current surgeon, and Abdia Abdel Latif, one of the city's veteran mall owners and owner of a chain of furniture stores.
The four listened intently to the photographer describe the difficult experience he had undergone.
"It is important for us to convey a message that the residents of the Wadi are in favor of coexistence. I therefore organized a quiet demonstration on the entrance to the city," said Mahajna.
Abdel Latif said that during the event he was busy at work and therefore did not hear what was happening.
"What happened to Gil is unpleasant, and we strongly condemn it," he said.
"The Arab population is law-abiding," Dr. Agbaria decisively stated. "When there are demonstrations in Amona or by the ultra-Orthodox, the attitude is different. The government is hostile to us even though we are talking about a handful of people. You mustn't slander us all because of a few dozen youths."
He then told Nechushtan that the media is vital to maintaining democracy and therefore it is important that it continue to operate in the region.
They summed up the meeting by condemning the violence, but did not express an apology for the incident and repeated their anger over Trump's declaration and Lieberman's calls for a boycott.
"I expect the leaders of the Arab public to find the rioters and ensure that they are punished," Nechushtan said at the end of the meeting. "I have been on good terms with the sector for years and hope that this is the last time that a media person falls victim to such violence. I expect that the meeting will contribute to mutual understanding and the prevention of violence in the future."
Both Jews and Israeli Arabs slammed Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's calls Sunday to boycott the residents of Wadi Ara and his assertion they were not part of the State of Israel.
Lieberman's comments came in the wake of the violent rioting in Wadi Ara on Saturday, during which rioters threw stones at police cars and buses in the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"Lieberman started his life as a racist, so let him continue his racist politics. We'll ignore him, but we have to stress there is coexistence in Wadi Ara," said Ar'ara resident Melhem Melhem. "Neither Lieberman nor a thousand like him can hurt this coexistence. I hope his term doesn't long for too long. He's causing harm both to the state and its citizens."
Melhem went on to say that "Jews and Arabs will continue living and working alongside each other. This is our shared fate. No one gives any credence to his comments. The sane people in this country won't take his comments seriously."
Taufiq Hassan, who owns a bakery in Ar'ara, echoed Melhem's remarks. "I opened my business in the Wadi Ara area, a lot of Jews come to me. I also live among the Wadi Ara population—Ar'ara, Kafr Qara, Umm al-Fahm—and they're all incredible people who are looking for a good and quiet life. Everyone treats guests excellent."
Raja Samer, another resident of the area, added, "Lieberman's comments won't hurt anything. People here love living together. We don't need to pay any mind to a party leader who tries to spoil the relations between the two peoples. It's not a good sign."
"It is detrimental to the coexistence that has been going on in the region for more than 40 years," said Husam Abbas, one of the owners of the Al-Babor restaurant in Umm al-Fahm. "His statements are appropriate for a punk and not for the defense minister. I do not believe a statement by him will succeed in influencing our customers, it will only influence the extreme right. Everyone was a guest here, from Ariel Sharon to Netanyahu when he was still in the opposition."
And it wasn't just the Israeli Arabs who came out against the defense minister's comments.
"I don't want to boycott the people I see as my friends," said Katzir resident Ricardo Kleinman. "Those who made the mess should pay for it, but not all of Wadi Ara. Especially as I'm welcomed with open arms in Kafr Qara."
Meni, also a resident of Katzir, shared Kleinman's feelings. "Israeli Arabs don't care what city is the capital. This isn't a matter of sanctity, so it shouldn't bother anyone. Yesterday, there was rioting so I tried not to leave the home, but today it's quiet and I came to Kafr Qara to do my shopping," Meni said.
Fellow Katzir resident Yaakov Haziza added, "There's no reason to pay any mind to Lieberman's comments. Each nation and group should develop resistance to inflammatory comments. I live in Wadi Ara, and Lieberman doesn't interest me at all, and neither does Trump. I suggest those who throw stones to also pay it no mind."
At the Aroma Espresso Bar at the Kfar Kara junction, several Jewish residents of the area sat and defended the importance of coexistence. "The moment my neighbor is having a bad time, I will have a bad time," said Hezi, a resident of Katzir.
"They are citizens of the state and they have all the rights as such. I also have clients from the sector and there is no chance that I will change my habits towards them because of Lieberman's statement."
Uri Arieli of Sha'ar HaAmakim also expressed his anger: "The new generation of Israeli Arabs is in favor of rapprochement with the state. Only a small minority was responsible for what happened (on Saturday)."
But despite their optimism, a tour along the Wadi Ara route revealed yesterday the tense atmosphere, characterized by the absence of a Jewish presence in the businesses belonging to residents of the Wadi.
In the morning, Ahmed Mahagna, the owner of a bakery in Wadi Ara, was optimistic and said with a smile: "Just wait; Jews come here every five minutes to buy our baked goods."
But after more than half an hour that no Jewish customer had entered the bakery, he changed his tone and realized that apparently they would not arrive today.
Sabrin Ahmed Mahajna, who works with him, stood behind the orphaned donuts who had remained on the tray since Sunday and waited for the Jewish customers who usually snatch them with delight.
"If both leftists and rightists are attacking me—then apparently I am right," Lieberman responded Sunday to criticism against him.
"I have never seen anyone in Wadi Ara with an Israeli flag. That's why they have to understand that they are not wanted here," he said, adding that Wadi Ara residents should prove they are part of Israel by publically condemning Saturday's protests.
Yedioth photographer meets with Arab leaders after 'near lynch'
Gil Nechushtan, a photographer for Yedioth Ahronoth, was fired up when meeting with public figures from the villages near Wadi Ara.
Nechushtan, who was nearly lynched in the violent protest and was still riled up over the chilling incident, opened the conversation with an angry accusation: "You could have helped and stop the riots in a matter of minutes."
When Nechushtan arrived to cover the demonstration on Saturday evening, dozens of masked men attacked him and wrecked his motorcycle.
"Throughout my years as a photographer I have been caught in countless demonstrations, but none of them prepared me for what happened on Shabbat in the heart of the State of Israel," he wrote after the event.
Four influential figures from the city of Umm al-Fahm arrived at the meeting: Faisal Mahajna, the brother of the acting mayor and a well-known public activist, Kamel Agbaria, former head of the Clalit Medical Clinic in Umm al-Fahm, Dr. Afu Agbaria, a former Hadash MK and current surgeon, and Abdia Abdel Latif, one of the city's veteran mall owners and owner of a chain of furniture stores.
The four listened intently to the photographer describe the difficult experience he had undergone.
"It is important for us to convey a message that the residents of the Wadi are in favor of coexistence. I therefore organized a quiet demonstration on the entrance to the city," said Mahajna.
Abdel Latif said that during the event he was busy at work and therefore did not hear what was happening.
"What happened to Gil is unpleasant, and we strongly condemn it," he said.
"The Arab population is law-abiding," Dr. Agbaria decisively stated. "When there are demonstrations in Amona or by the ultra-Orthodox, the attitude is different. The government is hostile to us even though we are talking about a handful of people. You mustn't slander us all because of a few dozen youths."
He then told Nechushtan that the media is vital to maintaining democracy and therefore it is important that it continue to operate in the region.
They summed up the meeting by condemning the violence, but did not express an apology for the incident and repeated their anger over Trump's declaration and Lieberman's calls for a boycott.
"I expect the leaders of the Arab public to find the rioters and ensure that they are punished," Nechushtan said at the end of the meeting. "I have been on good terms with the sector for years and hope that this is the last time that a media person falls victim to such violence. I expect that the meeting will contribute to mutual understanding and the prevention of violence in the future."
10 dec 2017
Tens of thousands of people congregated near Independence Hall on Tel Aviv's Rothschild Boulevard for a protest demonstration against Israeli governmental corruption, exactly one week after last Saturday's mass demonstration in the city.
According to a Saturday report by Ynet News, protesters cried out "We will not give in until you give out," "Bibi Netanyahu to Maasiyahu Prison," "Bibi versus the State", and "Shame, shame, shame."
The protest's organizers, carrying signs saying "Corrupt, go home," protested Coalition Chairman David Bitan, who was questioned by police this week, and railed against what they dubbed as "the lag in Prime Minister Netanyahu's investigations."
After the protesters arrived at the HaBima Square, the police shut down the generator protest organizers planned to use, claiming it did not meet safety requirements. In protest of the generator being shut down, several hundreds of demonstrators made their way down Kaplan Street.
The protest is organized by Eldad Yaniv and Meni Naftali, renowned for organizing weekly Petah Tikva demonstrations opposite the home of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. The pair utilized social media and the Whatsapp instant messaging app to invite participants to attend.
"Yesterday what we said would happen, happened. When the corrupt get spooked by tens of thousands of people on the streets, they do what they do best. What do they do in the face of hope? They retaliate with violence to inflame the area," Yaniv said.
Yaniv then went on to posit that the prime minister—through the country's police forces—engineered riots all across the country to keep people away from the protest. "It's their way of getting us to give up. What scares the corrupt more than last Saturday night? This Saturday night," Yaniv declared.
"We want a new contract with politicians, without those colluding with tycoons. We want new leaders and a new contract. Politicians who work for us, not corrupt ones. Politicians who can see justice served," Yaniv added.
Simultaneous to the Tel Aviv demonstration, protests were staged elsewhere in Israel, in such places as Nahariya, Hadera, Afula, Netanya, Rishon LeZion, Modi'in, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva.
Last week's "March of Shame" against government corruption and what demonstrators said was foot-dragging in the investigations against Netanyahu made its way from Independence Hall on Rothschild Boulevard to Habima Square, and was organized by Yaniv and Naftali.
Since January 2017, Netanyahu has been investigated six times over corruption charges in the so-called Case 1000 and Case 2000.
According to a Saturday report by Ynet News, protesters cried out "We will not give in until you give out," "Bibi Netanyahu to Maasiyahu Prison," "Bibi versus the State", and "Shame, shame, shame."
The protest's organizers, carrying signs saying "Corrupt, go home," protested Coalition Chairman David Bitan, who was questioned by police this week, and railed against what they dubbed as "the lag in Prime Minister Netanyahu's investigations."
After the protesters arrived at the HaBima Square, the police shut down the generator protest organizers planned to use, claiming it did not meet safety requirements. In protest of the generator being shut down, several hundreds of demonstrators made their way down Kaplan Street.
The protest is organized by Eldad Yaniv and Meni Naftali, renowned for organizing weekly Petah Tikva demonstrations opposite the home of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. The pair utilized social media and the Whatsapp instant messaging app to invite participants to attend.
"Yesterday what we said would happen, happened. When the corrupt get spooked by tens of thousands of people on the streets, they do what they do best. What do they do in the face of hope? They retaliate with violence to inflame the area," Yaniv said.
Yaniv then went on to posit that the prime minister—through the country's police forces—engineered riots all across the country to keep people away from the protest. "It's their way of getting us to give up. What scares the corrupt more than last Saturday night? This Saturday night," Yaniv declared.
"We want a new contract with politicians, without those colluding with tycoons. We want new leaders and a new contract. Politicians who work for us, not corrupt ones. Politicians who can see justice served," Yaniv added.
Simultaneous to the Tel Aviv demonstration, protests were staged elsewhere in Israel, in such places as Nahariya, Hadera, Afula, Netanya, Rishon LeZion, Modi'in, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva.
Last week's "March of Shame" against government corruption and what demonstrators said was foot-dragging in the investigations against Netanyahu made its way from Independence Hall on Rothschild Boulevard to Habima Square, and was organized by Yaniv and Naftali.
Since January 2017, Netanyahu has been investigated six times over corruption charges in the so-called Case 1000 and Case 2000.
7 dec 2017
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is one of the key events in Israel’s history, comparing it to the Balfour Declaration.
“There are major moments in the history of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the state, the liberation of Jerusalem and Trump’s announcement yesterday,” said Netanyahu in a video published on social media.
“I told him: ‘My friend the president, you are going to make history.’ Yesterday, he made history,” he added.
Netanyahu said Trump’s decision was embraced by Israelis of all stripes and quoted a religious verse to invoke the Jewish people’s alleged emotional attachment to the city.
“This is a festive and unifying moment, for the right, the left, religious, secular,” he further claimed. “We are making Jerusalem our chief joy.”
“There are major moments in the history of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, the founding of the state, the liberation of Jerusalem and Trump’s announcement yesterday,” said Netanyahu in a video published on social media.
“I told him: ‘My friend the president, you are going to make history.’ Yesterday, he made history,” he added.
Netanyahu said Trump’s decision was embraced by Israelis of all stripes and quoted a religious verse to invoke the Jewish people’s alleged emotional attachment to the city.
“This is a festive and unifying moment, for the right, the left, religious, secular,” he further claimed. “We are making Jerusalem our chief joy.”
Israel's foreign ministry and its missions abroad have been instructed to put out feelers to see if other countries are willing to follow US president Donald Trump's lead in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and also move their embassies to it.
At the behest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry told embassies to start holding meetings with officials of other friendly countries to sense their positions about the step that was taken by Trump and if their regimes could be ready to follow suit.
After Trump signed his declaration over Occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on other countries to follow suit.
Israeli officials already claimed that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the Czech Republic together with EU member states were likely to follow in Trump’s footsteps.
At the behest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry told embassies to start holding meetings with officials of other friendly countries to sense their positions about the step that was taken by Trump and if their regimes could be ready to follow suit.
After Trump signed his declaration over Occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu called on other countries to follow suit.
Israeli officials already claimed that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the Czech Republic together with EU member states were likely to follow in Trump’s footsteps.