Abbas signs applications for 15 international bodies, violating terms of peace talks
(JNS.org) In the midst of efforts to reach a deal that would extend the current Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations into 2015, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas violated the agreed-upon terms of the negotiations by signing applications for PA membership in 15 international agencies and treaties.
Upon the launching of the peace talks last summer, the Palestinian Authority—which became a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after unilaterally obtaining non-member observer state status in the U.N. in November 2012—agreed not to seek membership in additional U.N. bodies.
Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations expressed “concern and disappointment” that Abbas signed the new applications “knowing that this could sabotage the ongoing efforts of the United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Netanyahu to sustain the negotiations.”
“We hope that the applications will not be submitted to the U.N. organizations and the proposals will be properly responded to so that negotiations can be extended through the end of the year to enable the parties to work out the complex issues involved,” said Conference of Presidents Chairman Robert G. Sugarman and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said at a press conference in Brussels that it is “completely premature” to draw “any final judgment about today’s events and where things are” in the peace process, AFP reported. Kerry stated that none of the 15 agencies in which the PA applied for membership were part of the U.N., contradicting Abbas, who said earlier Tuesday that the Palestinian leadership had “unanimously approved a decision to seek membership of 15 U.N. agencies and international treaties, beginning with the Fourth Geneva Convention,” according to Israel National News.
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Israelis warned against traveling to Sinai, Turkey, Morocco
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) The Counter-Terrorism Bureau of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued several travel advisories on Tuesday, ahead of the Passover holiday.
The bureau warned Israelis against traveling to Sinai, Turkey, and Morocco, citing “concrete intelligence indicating a clear and imminent threat” to Israeli tourists in those locations.
Additionally, the bureau repeated its standing warnings against Israeli travel to 27 other countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, and the Kashmir region of India. The warning reiterated that Israelis are barred by law from visiting Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia.
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Byzantine monastery unearthed in Negev Desert
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) A Byzantine monastery with an intricate mosaic floor has been discovered in the northern part of Israel’s Negev Desert. The site was unearthed during preservation work by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) ahead of construction on a highway interchange.
Dr. Daniel Varga, the IAA archaeologist who directed the excavation, said that the monastery, located near the remains of the Byzantine-era town Horvat Hora, appeared “to be part of a series of monasteries [located] along a road that connected the Transjordan to the Beersheba valley.”
The structure, measuring 82 by 155 feet, is divided into halls built along an east-west axis, two of which stand out because of their spectacular mosaic floors. The prayer hall floor is adorned with a leaf-motif mosaic in strong shades of blue, red, yellow, and green. The floor of the dining hall features a colorful mosaic “carpet” decorated with images of plants, geometric designs, baskets, and a pair of birds.
The mosaic carpets bear four dedications in Greek that note the names of the heads of the monastery—Eliyahu, Nonus, Solomon, and Ilrion—as well as the dates on which the mosaics were completed in each of the rooms. These date the monastery to the second century C.E. One dedication also includes some Syriac words.
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Arab youths stone Israeli man’s car in Jerusalem
(JNS.org) Arab youths on Tuesday threw rocks at an Israeli man driving through the French Hill neighborhood in northeastern Jerusalem, Israel Hayom reported. The driver was unharmed, but the rear windshield of his car was smashed.
The incident took place around noon when Raphael Delarosa, a resident of the Givat Hamivtar neighborhood, was running errands at the French Hill shopping center.
“I had finished my errands and got in my car. I started driving and all of a sudden the car was surrounded by about four or five teenagers, maybe 16 or 17 years old, who started throwing rocks at the car,” he said. “I didn’t panic, and instead of trying to escape, I got out of the car and told the people who were watching, ‘You are the ones losing from all of this.’”
Delarosa, 64, said he later called the Arab owner of the shop outside which the incident took place, and said the man arrived at the scene and apologized to him.
“I caused a crowd to gather and I told everyone what happened. The store owners told me that they were helpless against the situation and that they didn’t know what to do,” Delarosa said.
Jonathan Pollard wouldn’t want to be freed for Israeli concessions, Jewish leaders say
(JNS.org) Multiple Jewish leaders have said that jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard would not want to be freed as part of a deal that would extract concessions from Israel.
A deal that is reportedly being considered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu includes five elements: Pollard’s freedom before Passover, which begins April 14; extending the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks into 2015, with the Palestinians committing not to seek unilateral moves at the United Nations; Israel proceeding with the fourth release of 26 Palestinian terrorists prisoners; Israel releasing another 400 Palestinian prisoners “without blood on their hands,” including women and minors; and an Israeli settlement construction freeze.
Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein said in a statement Tuesday afternoon, “Over the course of decades, I have personally spoken with Jonathan Pollard over 50 times, most recently, a few years ago. He also urged me several times thus—‘Mort, make it clear to the Israeli officials not to make any concessions, not of any land, or of freezing construction of Jewish homes in Judea/Samaria, in order to obtain my release.’”
Earlier, Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel told Army Radio that people close to Pollard have told him that the jailed spy opposes what would be a “shameful deal” to secure his freedom in exchange for the release of terrorists. The Jerusalem Post, on the other hand, cited “well-placed sources” who said Pollard would accept being freed by a political deal because he “understood that the only way for him to be released from prison alive was via such an agreement.”
Pollard’s release “should not be conditional on any Israeli concessions after he has served 25 years longer than any other American convicted of a similar crime,” said ZOA’s Klein.
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At Temple Mount, Islamic Waqf official beats Jewish man
(JNS.org) A Jewish man who tried to ascend the Temple Mount on Tuesday was beaten by an Islamic Waqf official.
“The police are afraid, and do not allow the entry of more than 20 to 30 Jews at once,” said activist Yehuda Glick, who witnessed the incident, Israel National News reported.
“Hundreds of Jews wait an hour, two hours, and even three hours in the hot sun at the entrance, raising tensions at the Temple Mount,” he added.
The beating comes after former Member of Knesset Michael Ben-Ari was booted from the Temple Mount on Sunday.
“I arrived at the Temple Mount now, at the entrance the guard in the guard booth informed me that by the order of the commander I was forbidden from entering the Temple mount, with no trial, no warning, just like that,” Ben-Ari wrote on Facebook.
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Discrimination law proposal may impact Jewish support for Australia’s Liberal party
(JNS.org) A prominent Australian Jewish leader has suggested that Jewish support for Australia’s ruling Liberal party may be affected by a recent government proposal to amend the country’s discrimination laws.
“It is a very difficult thing to judge without clear empirical evidence, but I suspect the vote will change for a small number of people but it could impact support for the government in terms of donations, letterboxing, and all the other things people do to support,” said Peter Wertheim, executive director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, The Guardian reported.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently proposed to amend the Racial Discrimination Act to remove the word’s “offend, insult and humiliate” and to broaden other exemptions. Jewish groups, along with other minority groups such as the Chinese, have expressed concern that the changes would lead to more discrimination.
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British PM David Cameron orders investigation into Muslim Brotherhood activities
(JNS.org) British Prime David Cameron has ordered an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities in Great Britain, amid intelligence that suggests the group planned a terrorist attack from the country.
According to The Guardian, the investigation would examine allegations that the Muslim Brotherhood planned a terror attack that led to the deaths of three tourists in Egypt in February from Great Britain.
“The prime minister has ordered a review to get a better understanding of the Muslim Brotherhood and its values—and look into its alleged links to extremism,” a source from the prime minister’s office told The Guardian.
Cameron plans for British intelligence services—MI5 and MI6—to conduct the investigation at home and abroad. Saudi Arabia and Egypt both claim that the Muslim Brotherhood uses London as a critical center for its activities.
Last year, the Egyptian government declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization and has conducted a nationwide crackdown on the organization. British officials said that it was “possible but unlikely” that the British government would ban the organization following the investigation.
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