Category: Frontlines

Posted on

Will Avigdor Lieberman Save Amona?

The Amona community, long viewed as a red line for activists from Yehuda and Shomron is slated to be destroyed do to Arab claims that they in fact own the land. The key with Amona is to ignore the noise coming from the Knesset and the two bills in committee there. At the end of the day they will be removed by the Prime Minister. The real solution rests in the 1950 Absentees’ Property Law. This law allows the government to buy the land of those who fled their property to enemy countries.

Newly appointed Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman has the power to implement this. Sources say he is looking into the very possibility of doing so in Amona’s case.

Most observers believe that if Amona would fall, the coalition would be imperiled and the country would move to new elections. In 2006 Amona was the site of intense police brutality against protesters seeking to block house demolitions there.

If Lieberman is successful in using the 1950 law to solve this issue, the precedent will be replayed across the Judea and Samaria.

So the question this summer, what kind of Amona will we have?  Will it be a 2006 redux or will Amona will serve as a catalyst to move the country forward and finally find a solution to conflicts on property ownership in Judea and Samaria?

Posted on

[Podcast] The Obama Effect: Syrian Chaos, ISIS, and Israeli Leadership

The Syrian civil war is a direct result of the Obama doctrine: Chaos is the key to ensuring Western order.  The problem with this sort of thinking is that chaos is never managed well, especially when Islamic radicals are used as the primary tool to spread the chaos.  Listen to today’s podcast and learn how Israel has had to maneuver within the chaos and war of the new Middle East.

Posted on

Will Ayelet Shaked Be Prime Minister One Day?

It seems that her abilities to change the system go far beyond simple laws.  She has in fact built a unique bridge to an unlikely ally. If Asher Axelrod, the Chairman of the Jerusalem District of the Israeli Bar Association was placing bets on who would likely be Prime Minister one day he would have to go with Ayelet Shaked, Israel’s current Justice Minister.

“It’s no secret that Shaked does a lot of important work beyond the appointment of judges, but to devote such care to this issue is very important, and I’m not sure that politicians gave it the proper attention in previous years.”

This is an incredible turnaround for Axelrod, who once opposed Shaked’s appointment.

“The involvement of Religious Zionism in the courts now is unprecedented, and that’s to the credit of Minister Shaked,” said Axelrod. Ayelet Shaked has always been known as a change candidate.

 

Posted on

The Elor Azaria Trial: A Test for Israel’s Soldiers

There is a sharp divide growing in testimony within the now widely publicized military trial of a young army soldier accused of needlessly killing a neutralized Arab terrorist in Hebron.  On one side stands his commanders who accuse him acting violently and radically in his actions.  On the other side are many supporters who believe Elor Azaria is being unjustly vilified in order to cover up for mistakes found higher up in the chain of command.

Help came today by way of surprise testimony of the army paramedic, a prosecution witness.

“Elor told me that there was a neutralized live terrorist who had a knife next to him. He said that when the terrorist moved his head and hand toward the knife, he felt threatened and shot him. I told Elor that lots of people will want to ask him about the incident. I was under the impression that he was disoriented, so I advised him to think a bit more about what to say.”

This directly contradicts the claims by Elor’s commanders and confirms initial reports that Elor Azaria was justified even while breaking orders.

The trial will have ramifications on the way soldiers deal with fluid situations in the battlefield.  One hopeful sign is that the newly appointed Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman has come out in support of Azaria and Lieberman’s son has donated to his defense fund. The question for the nation at the end of the day is whether soldiers will be backed up when putting their lives on the line to protect the Jewish Nation and its hold over the Land of Israel.