Tag: Netanyahu

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PM Netanyahu: No street in the State of Israel will be named after Arafat

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday (Saturday) that he will work to remove a street sign in the northern Israeli-Arab village of Jatt that is named after Yasser Arafat, former Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and President of the Palestinian Authority.

The street name attracted public attention following the complaints of a group of wounded IDF veterans.

Liran Baruch, a paratrooper who was wounded in action during an operation in Kalandiya, told Channel 10: “A friend of mine who went to serve in reserve duty near the village of Jatt noticed on Waze a street named after Yasser Arafat. He pointed this out to me right away, and I wrote a post on Facebook about it and notified the CEO of the Im Tirtzu organization, Matan Peleg.”

Im Tirtzu subsequently helped the wounded veterans pen a letter to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and bring the matter to the public agenda.

The Interior Ministry released a statement in response, stating that they were unaware of the street’s existence: “The Interior Ministry did not approve naming the street in Jatt after Yasser Arafat and such a request was never submitted to the Ministry.”

 

In a post on Netanyahu’s Facebook page, he wrote: “I heard about the wounded IDF veterans’ battle against calling a street after Yasser Arafat in the Jatt regional council that is in the northern Sharon. I spoke with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri about the matter, and he clarified that the Interior Ministry had not given any authorization.”

Netanyahu added, “No street in the State of Israel will be named after Arafat – and we will work to remove the street sign.”

Muhammad Tahar Wattad, head of the Jatt regional council, denied prior knowledge of the street’s existence, but added that he is not opposed to the street name: “From our perspective [Arafat] represents the official leader of the Palestinian people, with Israel recognizing him as a partner for negotiations. Therefore there is no legal, social or moral prohibition to name a street after him.”

Wattad also added that “whoever calls him a mass murder should take responsibility for his words.”

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Israel Protesting France’s Support For Terrorism

In response to a recent terror attack in a French church, Prime Minister Netanyahu sent his condolences to France during today’s Cabinet meeting. He then pointed out that evidence shows France is one of several European nations providing monetary support to organizations and NGO’s that incite terror and boycotts against Israel.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said last week that there is a need for a “thorough review to form a new relationship with French Islam” and that France will take up measures to stop foreign aid to mosques as a new step in the fight against Islamic terror. This is hypocrisy at its best when we find that France is interested in curbing Islamic terror locally but is not hesitant to support Islamic terror in Israel.

“Terror is terror in all places, and incitement is incitement all over the world,” Netanyahu said. “I heard about a discussion that took place last week in the French government about preventing foreign money from organizations that harm French citizens. That sounds familiar to us. We are also concerned about these types of contribution to organizations that reject Israel’s existence.”

This is even more absurd when we find that France need Israel’s help in stopping terror attacks.

Last week, the Israeli Ambassador to France condemned the French initiative to grant honorary citizenship to Marwan Barghouti, a known terrorist responsible for hundreds of deaths.

The questions stands: What does France stand for? Why are they openly supporting terrorism in their own country and abroad?

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Israel Defeating BDS Movement One Country At a Time

During a debate at the State Control Committee on Monday, a number of MK’s argued that Israel’s foreign policy and public diplomacy (Hasbara) require a more unified voice. This includes appointing a new minister to take over the Foreign Ministry position, which the Prime Minister currently holds.

MK Elharrar remarked, “During this time, when the State of Israel is dealing on a daily basis with an intensifying delegitimizaiton campaign, attacks by UNESCO on the historic link between the Jewish people and Jerusalem, one-sided resolutions against Israel in the UN`s Human Rights Council and even attacks on us in the World Health Organization, don`t you think we need to appoint a foreign minister who will act to improve Israel`s standing in the international community?”

Netanyahu countered by saying that the success of Israel’s public diplomacy is measured by its diplomatic ties, foreign trade and public opinion. “Today Israel is perceived more and more as an asset and an influencing element in the world because of our war on terror and our technological achievements… We have achieved free trade with China, a 30 percent increase in trade with India, an agreement with Japan on protecting rigs, military coordination with Russia, initial ties with a host of African countries, heads of state visiting Israel for the first time, the normalization of ties with Turkey, and every week I meet with four heads of state. Israel`s foreign policy is a great success. Despite some specific successes [of the delegitimization campaign against Israel], we have defeated the boycott movement in many arenas.”

It is true that the scope of Israel`s connections with countries around the world has never been broader, especially after Netanyahu’s recent visit to Africa after which several African countries strengthened their diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.

Netanyahu then went on to state that the obstacles to peace between Israel and Palestinians is the incitement of Abbas and the PA to murder Jews and the refusal of the PA to recognize the Jewish state.

The constant hostile resolutions against Israel during times of conflict and continuous movements to boycott Israeli products are a clear sign that Israel needs improvement in its public diplomacy. Netanyahu says Israel is “working to annul the automatic majority against us in international forums” by improving relations with African, Latin and Asian countries.

Others such as MK Zehava Galon of Meretz argue that “Israel will have to choose between its democratic values and international legitimacy.”

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Headlines June 28: Temple Mount Attacks, Rivlin & Ban Ki-Moon, Bibi & Kerry

On Tuesday morning, Arab rioters on the Temple Mount who presumably found no more Jews or police to attack up there, began throwing stones down at the Jews who were engaged in their morning prayer before the Western Wall. One woman, age 73, was injured lightly and was rushed to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital.
[The Jewish Press]

 

Likud MK Yehuda Glick criticizes barring of Temple Mount to Jews, calls on Islamic leaders to reign in violence.
[Arutz Sheva]
President Rivlin meets with UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon and they discuss regional issues including captive Israeli soldiers, terrorism, peace initiatives and normalization with Turkey.
[Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discuss defense issues and the peace process with the Palestinians • Netanyahu also meets with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
[Israel Hayom]

Shin Bet reveals five members of terrorist cell, three of them dentists, arrested over May 10 pipe bomb attack • Leader cites “desecration of Al-Aqsa mosque and harming Palestinian children” as motives • Suspects show interrogators 56 more explosives.
[Israel Hayom]

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Headlines June 8: Israel Strikes Syrian Weapons, Bibi & Putin, NASA & Israel to Mars

Israeli Air Force jets attacked a missile storage facility in Syria over the weekend, targeting a number of military sites said to be housing advanced weaponry.
[The Jerusalem Post]

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Kremlin, held a lengthy working meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They discussed a large number of issues including Syria and other regional issues pertaining to the national security of both countries. The two leaders discussed the continuation of regional coordination between their respective militaries, which has worked very well up until now. They also discussed agricultural issues (milk production with the assistance of Israeli technologies), the pensions agreement that was signed between the two countries, tourism, health, the manufacture of medicines and other issues.
[Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

 

NASA chief expresses interest in Israel helping with manned mission to Mars‏
[Arutz Sheva]

 

Israel and Ukraine sign agreement for employment of Ukrainian construction workers
[Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that in just one or two meetings a rapprochement deal with Israel will be reached, indicating that the normalization talks started last December are reaching a close.
[Arutz Sheva]