Sweden’s FM Wallstrom opposes BDS
(JNS.org) Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, known for harshly criticizing Israel, opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Swedish opposition leader Anna Kinberg Batra told the Israeli Knesset on Sept. 5.
Wallstrom asked Kinberg Batra to pass on the message before she left for Israel to meet with the Israel-Sweden Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Kingberg Batra was on a diplomatic visit to neutralize Sweden’s negative posture toward Israel.
Israeli officials did not believe she was successful in her mission because she did not make any pro-Israel statements during her visit, the Times of Israel reported.
“We are disappointed with the visit of Swedish opposition leader [Anna] Kinberg Batra in Israel,” a senior official in Jerusalem told the Times of Israel. “Before the visit, she presented herself as a close friend and gave us to understand that she would use her visit as a platform for positive statements about Israel. She did not deliver the goods.”
Swedish-Israeli ties have been strained since Sweden recognized the Palestinian state in 2014 and Wallstrom called for a query into whether Israel is guilty of extrajudicial killings of Palestinians, saying the number of deaths during the recent terror wave are disproportionate on the Palestinian side compared to Israel’s.
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Netanyahu meets with Russian envoy for Middle East
(JNS.org) Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, on Sept. 5 in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu’s office said the two discussed the possibility of a meeting between him and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, including Putin’s proposal to host the meeting.
“The Prime Minister presented Israel’s position that he is always ready to meet with President Abbas directly and without preconditions,” the statement read. “He is therefore reviewing the Russian President’s proposal and the timing of a possible meeting.”
Abbas allegedly confirmed to Abed al-Hafeez Nofa, the Palestinian Ambassador to Russia, that he had agreed to meet with Netanyahu in Moscow with Putin’s mediation, according to AFP news agency.
However, Palestinian officials in Ramallah denied the report that Abbas accepted the Russian proposal, i24news reported.
Nofa also claimed Israel was “evading the requirements of the meeting.”
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As time runs out, frantic rescue efforts continue at Tel Aviv collapse site
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Rescue efforts to save those trapped under the rubble of a collapsed parking facility in Tel Aviv became frantic Tuesday, as concerns possible survivors were running out of oxygen mounted.
Four people were killed and 23 others were wounded Monday when an underground parking facility in the north Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Hahayal collapsed. Authorities believe there are three people trapped under the debris. There are also concerns that as the site is excavated, the work may cause a secondary collapse of the remaining walls.
The cause of the collapse is unknown at this time, and the issue is under police investigation. The Labor and Welfare Ministry’s Safety Directorate is working closely with the investigation, which has been placed under a gag order.
The IDF Homefront Command, which is heading rescue efforts, deployed hundreds of its soldiers at the site, assisted by the military’s Oketz canine unit. Large police and emergency services personnel are assisting in the rescue efforts at well.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site on Monday evening, to ensure rescue workers have access to all necessary resources.
“Rescue efforts are being handled professionally and as quickly as possible, to find anyone who might be trapped. This is an immense effort, very professional and challenging, and we wish all the injured a speedy recovery,” he said.
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Poll ranks Hebrew University No. 1 in Israel, 148th in the world
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Hebrew University in Jerusalem placed once again as first in Israel and 148th in the world in this year’s university rankings by British education and study abroad company Quacquarelli Symonds. The ranking, published Monday, is yet another international acknowledgement of the university’s research and academic teaching prowess.
Quacquarelli Symonds, which creates an annual table listing the world’s top 600 universities, focuses on each academic institution’s performance in the areas of research, teaching, employability and internationalization. It further uses six specific indicators in its ranking methodology: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty and international students.
Hebrew University President Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson said of the honor: “I am delighted by the international recognition the university continues to receive as a leading academic institution. This is a result of our investment in recent years in bringing the best researchers and giving them the tools they need. Our academic reputation is the outcome of the faculty and students’ hard work and commitment to excellence.”
This is the second year in a row that Hebrew University took the 148th spot. Tel Aviv University and the Technion took the 212th and 213th spots, respectively.
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Watchdog group asks World Scout Movement to cancel Palestinian membership over terror promotion
(JNS.org) A watchdog group that monitors extremism in the Palestinian media has asked the World Organization of the Scout Movement to cancel the membership of the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA) over its promotion of terrorism.
A recent PSA leadership training course has been named “Martyr – Leader Baha Alyan Course,” after a terrorist, who boarded a bus and murdered three Israeli passengers, Alon Govberg, 51, Haviv Haim, 78, and Richard Lakin, 76, in a terrorist attack in October 2015, according to the group Palestinian Media Watch.
“We would like to bring to your attention that the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA), which six months ago was accepted as a full member in the World Organization of the Scout Movement, is training its scout leaders to see a cold-blooded terrorist murderer as their role model,” Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, wrote in an email to the World Scout Movement.
“We ask that you take steps to guarantee that the distinguished World Organization of the Scout Movement will have no part in training future scout leaders to see terrorist murderers as role models,” the email added.
The PSA was added as a member of the Organization of the Scout Movement in February 2016.
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Israeli delegation showcases technology to major U.S. sports leagues
(JNS.org) A delegation of 13 Israeli companies presented their latest technology to America’s top professional sports leagues, including the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB.
Hundreds of meetings were set up on the east and west coasts between the delegation and the sports leagues, including sport-focused media and investors by the Israel Export Institute and Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry in New York and San Francisco.
“They presented not only technologies unique to the world of sports but also those enabling new connections between sports brands and their fans,” said Li Aviram Shoshani, Israel Export Institute’s manager of digital media.
Nili Shalev, trade representative for the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry in New York, said their goal is to “gain exposure for Israeli innovation in a wide spectrum of technological sectors.” Sports is just one of many sectors that Israeli trade missions have been building connections between Israel and other nations.
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IAF pilots train with Pakistan, UAE peers in U.S. Red Flag drill
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli Air Force pilots recently had a unique opportunity to train alongside their Pakistani and Emirati colleagues, as part of an international exercise held in the United States, Israel Hayom learned Thursday.
An IAF mission to the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada participated in the prestigious Red Flag advanced combat training exercise, which took place between Aug. 15 and Aug. 26, alongside the U.S., Spanish, Pakistani and Emirati air forces.
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have no diplomatic ties with Israel.
The annual Red Flag drill has been in place for 41 years, set in place as part of the U.S. Air Force’s conclusions from the Vietnam War.
Traditionally, the squadrons participating are assigned to “red” and “blue” forces, with the American squadron acting as an enemy — “red” — force. The aircrews practiced engagement and interception, striking targets, rescue and recovery missions, and intelligence gathering.
This was the second consecutive year in which the IAF was invited to participate in Red Flag, sending eight Israeli F-16I Sufa fighter jets, along with several refueling planes.
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U.S. agreed to allow Iran “secret exemptions” to meet nuke deal deadline, report says
(JNS.org) The United States and its international partners agreed “in secret” to allow Iran to evade certain restrictions in the landmark nuclear deal in order for the Islamic Republic to meet its deadline for international sanctions relief, a new report states.
The report, released by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, which based its information from several government officials involved in the negotiations, said that had these exemptions not be implemented, Iran would have failed to meet its Jan. 16 compliance date.
“The exemptions or loopholes are happening in secret, and it appears that they favor Iran,” said David Albright, a former United Nations weapons inspector and co-author of the report, Reuters reported.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest took significant exception to the report’s findings, saying “the implementation date was driven by the ability of the (International Atomic Energy Agency) to verify that Iran had completed the steps that they promised to take.”
Among the exceptions outlined in the report include two that allowed Iran to exceed the deal’s limits on the quantity of low-enriched uranium (LEU) which can be used to make highly enriched and weapons grade uranium.
According to the report, the joint commission agreed to exempt unknown quantity of 3.5 percent LEU contained in liquid, solid and sludge wastes stored at Iranian nuclear facilities. The nuclear agreement restricts Iran to stockpiling only 300 kg of 3.5 LEU. Additionally, the commission also approved a second exemption for an unknown quantity of near 20 percent of LEU to be held in “lab containment,” the report said.
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Egypt officially welcomes new Israeli ambassador
(JNS.org) The new Israeli ambassador to Egypt, David Govrin, presented his credentials to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who welcomed him as the military band played the Israeli national anthem on Aug. 31.
“In a brief conversation I had with him in Arabic, he asked about my personal background and I told him, among other things, about my early acquaintance with Egypt as a diplomat in Cairo as well as my academic education in Middle Eastern studies,” Govrin told Israel Hayom.
The Egyptian president apparently also conveyed to Govrin his desire to revive relations with Israel.
Israel’s embassy in Cairo reopened one year ago after being shut down when Egyptian protesters raided the compound during the Arab Spring in 2011.
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Israeli Arab family seeking return to Israel after joining Islamic State
(JNS.org) An Israeli Arab family, who moved to Syria allegedly to join the Islamic State (IS), has fled to Turkey with the hope of returning to Israel, reported Channel 2 news on Aug. 31.
The family of five, originally from the mostly Muslim city of Sakhnin in northern Israel, joined IS over a year ago. The family traveled to Romania for a relative’s graduation ceremony, then told family they would continue to Turkey for a vacation. Days later, the family told relatives they were joining IS in Syria.
The mother’s father recently convinced them to return to Israel and made arrangements to meet in Turkey where he could work on their re-entry.
Israel continues to discover cases of Israeli Arab citizens attempting to join IS including two Israeli Arab men, who were indicted in July for plotting to join the terror group in Syria.
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Israel opens school year highlighting integration
(JNS.org) Israeli leaders highlighted the importance of integration as they visited and welcomed Arab-Israeli students to the new school year on Sept. 1.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told young students at the Tamra Ha’emek elementary school in the Galilee, “I want each and every one of you to do two things: First, learn. Second, be good children. Listen to your parents and your teachers; listen to your teacher.”
Speaking to the diverse student body who will learn Hebrew, Arabic and English, Netanyahu added, “I want you to learn history… of the Jewish People, the history of your public. I want you to learn the truth, and the truth says that we were destined to live together.”
Israel’s Education Minister Naftali Bennett made his comments in Arabic, emphasizing this is the first time Arab students are required to learn in Hebrew, a program approved last year designed to help them more easily integrate into Israeli society.
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Rocket set to deliver Israeli satellite to space explodes on launch pad
(JNS.org) A rocket being tested by the Elon Musk-owned aerospace company SpaceX was destroyed in a launch pad explosion in Florida on Thursday, along with an Israeli communications satellite the rocket was carrying on board. No immediate injuries were reported.
SpaceX was conducting a routine test of the unmanned rocket Falcon 9. The rocket was carrying an Israeli satellite, the AMOS-6, which was intended to deliver Internet services to developing countries through Facebook’s Internet.org program. It would have been the first Facebook satellite to enter orbit.
The Amos 6 satellite was built by Israel Aerospace Industries and operated by the Israeli company, Spacecom, which partnered with France’s Eutelsat Communications. It was supposed to ride a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into orbit on Saturday.
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Kerry prefers quieter media coverage of terrorism
(JNS.org) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry implied on Monday that the world would be better served if the media did not report about terrorism as often.
“Perhaps the media would do us all a service if they didn’t cover it quite as much. People wouldn’t know what’s going on,” Kerry said to the press during a meeting in Bangladesh.
“No country is immune from terrorism. It’s easy to terrorize. Government and law enforcement have to be correct 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. But if you decide one day you’re going to be a terrorist and you’re willing to kill yourself, you can go out and kill some people,” said Kerry, who spoke about how the U.S. will help Bangladesh achieve greater prosperity by tackling issues such as establishing security and fighting for worker rights.
Kerry said terror groups such as the Islamic State attack culture and history, and only seek to divide. Fighting them requires a different kind of battle and “will take a generation or more to solve.”
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Former UCLA student president leaves school over pro-BDS harassment
(JNS.org) Milan Chatterjee, former president of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Graduate Students Association and third-year law student, informed UCLA he would be leaving the school due to a “hostile and unsafe campus climate” fostered by Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) groups.
“It’s really unfortunate,” Chatterjee told the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. “I love UCLA, I think it’s a great school and I have a lot of friends there. It has just become so hostile and unsafe I can’t stay there anymore.”
While he was student president, Chatterjee, who is Indian-American and a Hindu, made the distribution of funds from the Graduate Students Association (GSA) for a school diversity event contingent on its sponsors not being associated with the BDS movement.
This move brought protests from BDS supporters. A June 2016 investigation by the UCLA Discrimination Prevention Office (DPO) concluded that Chatterjee violated school policy requiring a neutral viewpoint on the distribution of funds.
In a statement, UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez expressed disappointment over Chatterjee’s decision to leave but stood by the DPO’s judgement.
“Although we regret learning that Milan Chatterjee has chosen to finish his legal education at a different institution, UCLA firmly stands by its thorough and impartial investigation, which found that Chatterjee violated the university’s viewpoint neutrality policy,” the Aug. 31 statement read.
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Israeli soldier shot while securing worshippers in Joseph’s Tomb
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) An Israeli soldier was shot Thursday during a patrol securing Israeli worshipers at Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus. The soldier was rushed to the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva, suffering from moderate injuries. The IDF launched an investigation into the incident.
Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus is under the Palestinian security forces’ control. Jewish prayer in the compound is permitted, but worshipers are required to coordinate their visits with the military, which escorts them in and out of the area.
According to available details, military, Border Police and Civil Administration troops were securing a convoy of 16 buses carrying Jewish worshipers seeking to pray at the site. Local Palestinians rioted, hurling stones and firebombs at the troops, who used crowd control measures to restore order.
It is believed the soldier was shot when the troops came under fire near the adjacent Balata refugee camp.
The prayer service continued as planned, after which the worshipers left the area without incident.
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