IDF: 3 mortars from Syria land in Golan
(JNS.org) Three 82-millimeter mortar rounds fired from Syria landed inside the Golan Heights on Thursday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), marking the third time in six days that Syria’s civil war affected the Jewish state.
One mortat round fell near the Alonei Habashan community, about 700 meters from the Israel-Syria border, Israel Hayom reported. The fire caused no injuries or damage, but the IDF filed a complaint to United Nations forces about the incident.
On Nov. 3, Syrian tanks entered the Golan Heights demilitarized zone, prompting IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz to warn “The Syrian affair could turn into our affair.” On Nov. 5, Syrian gunfire from its side of the border struck Israeli patrols.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor wrote a letter to the UN Security Council saying Syrian actions represent “a dangerous escalation that could have far-reaching implications for the security and stability of our region.”
Security officials believe that mortar rounds in Thursday’s spillover into the Golan were fired by the Syrian military at rebel forces, but inadvertently landed in Israel.
Despite Romney loss, Republicans see silver lining in Jewish vote results
(JNS.org) Their candidate lost the U.S. presidential election, but Jewish Republicans—according to their own calculations—still had something to cheer about the next day.
On Nov. 7, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) released the results of a national exit poll of 1,000 Jewish voters, in addition to 600 Jewish voters in Florida and 600 in Ohio, that had President Barack Obama garnering 69 percent of the total Jewish vote, down nine percentage points from 2008. The RJC results mirrored the exit poll numbers for Jewish voters produced by CNN on the night of the election.
Additionally, RJC said in a press release that from 2008 to 2012, “The Republican share of the Jewish vote jumped nationally from 22 percent to 32 percent.” The 10-point increase marked the largest Republican gain among Jews since 1972, according to RJC, whose polling was conducted by Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates.
“The results demonstrate that President Barack Obama and the Democrats saw a significant erosion of support from 2008, while Republicans continued their trend of the last several decades of making inroads in the Jewish community,” RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said in a statement.
NJDC polling data: Obama made late surge among Florida Jewish voters
(JNS.org) The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) revealed polling data Nov. 7 that showed Obama gaining as many as 117,000 Jewish votes in Florida between late September and Election Day.
NJDC’s results said Obama’s Jewish support in Florida stood at 61 percent in late September and increased to 66-68 percent (68 percent according to GBA Strategies, and 66 percent according to CNN).
“Knowing what we know of the state of the Jewish vote in late September, we are tremendously proud of what NJDC and our friends were able to do to put facts into the hands of so many Jewish Florida voters to make sure they were not taken in by this multi-million dollar [Republican] effort of lies and smears against our President,” Harris said in a statement Nov. 7, referring to an RJC advertising campaign that featured video interviews with Jewish Democrats who expressed regret over voting for Obama in 2008, as well as billboards reading “Obama… Oy Vey!!”
Jewish family attacked by local gangs in France
(JNS.org) A Jewish father was brutally beaten and his family home was vandalized Nov. 4 by local gangs in the latest round of anti-Semitic violence in France, Israel National News reported.
The attack took place in the southern French city of Marseille, which is home to substantial Jewish and Muslim populations. According to local reports, the family was attacked after local youths were upset after their car parked in front of the family’s house was towed away. The youths broke into the home, severely beat up the father and destroyed the rest of the house.
Local sources report that the youths attempted to murder the father. Neighbors hearing the families scream called the police who arrived and arrested the youths.
France has been the site of a growing number of anti-Semitic attacks recently, including the Toulouse terrorist attack earlier this year in which al-Qaeda-affiliated Mohammed Merah killed a rabbi and three Jewish children.
According to a report from the Protection of the Jewish Community (SPCJ) and the French Interior Ministry, there has been a 53-percent increase in anti-Semitic acts during the first five months of 2012 compared to those months last year.
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Preceding provided by JNS.org