Flags to be waved throughout Israel to mark Warsaw Ghetto uprising
(JNS.org) Schools throughout Israel this month will wave Israeli flags at precisely the same time as part of a special ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising during the Holocaust, Israel Hayom reported. Exactly 70 years prior, those who survived the uprising waved flags to symbolize their victory.
Israeli Education Ministry Director-General Dalit Stauber sent a letter to local municipalities and school principals explaining the significance of the effort. “We are currently at the threshold of important days for the Jewish people in the State of Israel; days that express our common story: from the Holocaust to renewal, remembrance days and Independence Day,” Stauber wrote.
“This year will mark 70 years since the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, an event that magnifies the connection between the Holocaust and the renewal of the nation in their land and country. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising represents courage, unity of destiny and the leadership inherent in the Jewish people from our outset,” Stauber added.
The synchronized flag-waving ceremonies at all Israeli schools are set for April 19 at 10 a.m., the exact time when flags were waved in the Warsaw Ghetto. “At a time when Israeli society faces social, educational, security and ethical challenges, the values manifested in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising can serve as a model for our society today,” Stauber concluded.
Bennet: Erdoğan ‘doing everything he can to make Israel regret’ flotilla apology
(JNS.org) Some Israeli leaders are criticizing Israel’s recent apology to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the 2010 Gaza flotilla in light of Erdoğan’s statements since the apology was made public. Erdoğan, clarifying initial reports that Turkey-Israel ties had been normalized following his conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that those ties would not be fully restored until Israel both provides financial compensation for the nine Turkish citizens who died in the Mavi Marmara altercation and ends its blockade on Gaza.
The Turks who died in the flotilla incident had attacked Israeli soldiers on board. Israeli Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennet (Habayit Hayehudi) on Wednesday wrote on Facebook that Erdoğan “is doing everything he can to make Israel regret” the apology. “Let there be no doubt—no nation is doing Israel a favor by renewing ties with it. It should also be clear to Erdoğan that if Israel encounters in the future any terrorism directed against us, our response will be no less severe,” Bennet wrote.
Bennett, expressing his support for Israeli soldiers, wrote that they “always do everything, and I mean everything, to protect the lives of Israeli citizens.” “This is your job. We’ll deal with the rest. The people of Israel stand behind you, we are always with you,” he wrote.
Likud MK Moshe Feiglin, according to Israel Hayom, said Wednesday that the apology to Turkey was a mistake because, “The more you give them the feeling that they are on the side of justice, the higher their level of violence rises.”
Nitsana Darshan-Leinter, director of the Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center civil rights organization, called the apology “pathetic pandering to an Islamic extremist who compared Zionism to fascism and is still trying to indict Israeli officers for war crimes.”
“The United Nations has investigated the Israeli blockade of Gaza and has determined that it is in full compliance with international law,” Darshan-Leinter said in a statement. “The flotilla, which was provided material support by the Turkish government, was a provocation designed to endanger the lives of Israeli sailors.”
The apology, meanwhile, drew praise from several European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron. On Wednesday, Merkel called the apology a “correct and brave step” by Israel.
Report: IDF sets up field hospital near Golan border to treat Syrians
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israel has reportedly set up a small field hospital near the Israel-Syria border with aim of treating injured Syrians who arrive at the border seeking medical assistance, Channel 2 reported on Thursday.
Israel, citing humanitarian concerns, has treated 11 Syrian civilians over the last four weeks.
On Wednesday, Israeli army paramedics treated seven wounded Syrians near the border. Two of the men sustained critical head injuries and were taken to Israeli hospitals for emergency surgery; one of them died from his wounds.
The report, quoting military sources, said that the field hospital—set up at an Israeli army post adjacent to the border—aims to treat the injured and immediately return them to Syria. Critical cases will still be referred to hospitals in northern Israel.
According to the report, forming a field hospital requires some 200 soldiers and medical personnel, but the medical facility formed on the border is much smaller, intending to provide injured Syrians with basic triage and medical assistance.
The Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Unit said, “Over the past several weeks, for humanitarian reasons, the IDF has treated several wounded Syrians who arrived at the border fence in the Golan Heights. There is no change in the military’s policies and IDF soldiers are deployed across the border to thwart any attempt to infringe on Israeli sovereignty.”
Israel, Turkey divided over restitution for Gaza flotilla raid
(JNS.org) Following Israel’s apology to Turkey over the May 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara, the process of negotiating the restitution payments is underway.
Israel is reportedly willing to pay $100,000 to each family of the nine Turkish activists killed on board on the Mavi Marmara, while Turkey is reportedly demanding $1 million for each family.
The two countries agreed to establish a joint committee to deal with the restitution issue, according to Israel Hayom. Israel’s negotiating team will be led by National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror and Dr. Joseph Ciechanover, and Turkey’s will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu.
Israel prefers that the restitution payments be transferred via a humanitarian fund, rather than paid directly to the families.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç confirmed on Tuesday that formal negotiations regarding financial restitution have begun, according to the agreement reached between Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Additionally, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters in Ankara that he discussed the restitution payments with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni as part of the restoration of ties between the two countries.
Erdoğan on Tuesday briefed the Turkish parliament on the Israeli apology over the raid, which ended a three-year diplomatic crisis between the once-close allies, and reiterated his intention to visit Gaza Strip to “further inspect the issue of the blockade.”
Preceding provided by JNS.org