Israel to rebuild synagogue demolished during 1948 war
(JNS.org) The Israeli government has made plans to allocate 50 million shekels ($14.3 million) for the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue, which was destroyed by the Arab Legion during the War of Independence in 1948, Israel Hayom reported. The official announcement of the landmark’s revival is expected to come on Jerusalem Day, May 28.
During the 1948 battle over the Old City of Jerusalem, the Jordanians were determined to prevent Jewish organizations from returning to areas that had been conquered, and made the decision to destroy Jewish sites such as synagogues.
Two synagogues that defined the Jerusalem skyline at the time were blown up: the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue and the Hurva Synagogue. The Hurva Synagogue was rebuilt in 2010, but the Tiferet Yisrael ruins were left as they were. The destroyed synagogue serves as a reminder that Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter was not in Jewish hands between 1948 and 1967.
IDF suggests video of Palestinian deaths could be forgery
(JNS.org) A senior Israel Defense Forces official has cast doubt on the accuracy of a recently released video that purportedly shows the deaths of two Palestinian teens near the Ofer military prison on May 15.
“Since I have a lot of experience with forgery, I won’t say anything unequivocal until we conclude the investigation,” an anonymous senior IDF official told Haaretz.
“We have asked to be given the additional bullets that were found, and we are willing to receive them now to conclude the inquiry,” said the official. “Since the video appeared, we will try to corroborate it against the battalion commander who was there.”
The edited video, which was allegedly obtained from a local security camera, was released by Defense for Children International – Palestine Section.
The video’s release has sparked additional controversy over the purported deaths, with several human rights groups and Palestinian leaders condemning Israel’s actions during riots initiated by Palestinians outside the Ofer prison.
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Turkish group refuses to drop Mavi Marmara charges
(JNS.org) The Turkish group that was involved in the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident vows that it will oppose any efforts by the Turkish or Israeli governments to drop its lawsuit over the incident.
The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) says that it has been in contact with the Turkish government, which is reportedly near a deal with Israel on compensation for the families of the Turkish nationals who were killed onboard the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara in 2010.
“We are hearing that an agreement will soon be announced on the compensation Israeli state will pay as an outcome of talks… One of Israel’s conditions is to drop the court cases,” said Ugur Yildirim, a lawyer for IHH, Reuters reported.
“We are warning the authorities against this clear violation of global law principles,” he said.
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Conservative Jews call out synagogue umbrella over vote in favor of J Street
(JNS.org) More than 70 Conservative Jews in an advertisement published Thursday called out the movement’s synagogue umbrella organization for its recent vote in favor of J Street’s application to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
The ad—which appeared in the New York Jewish Week, The Jewish Press (New York), The Jewish Advocate of Boston, the Washington Jewish Week, and the Baltimore Jewish Times—said J Street has accused Israel of war crimes when it defends itself from missile attacks from Gaza, gives a platform to advocates of the movement to boycott Israel, and has called on the U.S. not to veto U.N. resolutions that are critical of Israel.
The signatories said they were “greatly saddened and disillusioned” that the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) voted for J Street, whose Conference of Presidents bid failed with 22 votes against it, 17 in favor, and three abstentions. J Street needed 34 affirmative votes among the 50-member Conference to gain admission.
“When the USCJ voted for J Street to be admitted to the Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations it acted contrary to the support for Israel we find so important in the Conservative movement,” the ad said. “We don’t feel that your vote represents the views of the vast majority of Conservative Jews.”
The ad’s sponsor, Jews Against Divisive Leadership, paid for a similar ad signed by more than 40 Reform Jews that was published last week.
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PA art exhibit to depict Palestinians as suffering Jesus during Pope Francis visit
(JNS.org) The Palestinian Authority-sponsored Palestinian Museum has commissioned an art exhibit featuring famous pieces of art of Jesus’s suffering modified to depict Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
According to the museum, the images will be on display in Manger Square in Bethlehem during Pope Francis’s upcoming visit in order to highlight “the tension between the popular image of the Holy Land and Palestine’s ongoing history of suffering under occupation and oppression.”
The modified images include several famous Baroque paintings of Jesus such as Raphael’s The Deposition or Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, which have been juxtaposed on alleged images of Palestinian suffering.
According to Palestinian Media Watch, which has documented several previous instances of Palestinian officials misrepresenting Jesus as a Palestinian, the exhibit “reinforces the pretense that Jesus was a Palestinian by visually merging the image of Jesus in classical art with pictures of Palestinians.”
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Bethlehem on May 25 and will conduct a mass at the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
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Israeli dairy firm Tnuva selling 56% to Chinese company
(JNS.org) The Chinese government-owned Bright Food Group will buy 56 percent of the Israeli dairy firm Tnuva, the Jewish state’s largest food company.
According to the deal, Bright Food will make the purchase via British private equity house Apax Partners. Although the agreed-upon price is undisclosed, Tnuva is reportedly valued at 8.6 billion shekels, or $2.5 billion.
“China is still a niche market, but there’s lots of room for growth. We’re getting increasing interest from international clients who are interested in China,” said Matthieu David-Experton, Shanghai-based CEO at Daxue Consulting, reported Israel Hayom.
The deal, one of the largest in the history of the Israeli market, will allow Bright Food access to Israel’s technologically advanced dairy production. Tnuva earned more 7.17 billion shekels, or $2.05 billion, in 2013.
“Israel is a country with highly developed agriculture and animal husbandry techniques. Tnuva, as Israel’s largest food company, has a long history and various products and large market share,” a Bright Food spokesman told Reuters.
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Thailand coup leads Israel to issue travel warning
(JNS.org) Israel’s Foreign Ministry has issued a travel warning for Israeli tourists visiting Thailand in the wake of an announcement that the country’s military has declared martial law.
The Thai military, led by army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, announced that it is taking over the government and suspending the country’s constitution. It then ordered acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan and his ministers to report to the military Thursday “in order to keep peace and order,” and banned “political gatherings” of more than five people.
“Anyone who violates the ban will be subject to a one-year jail term, 10,000 baht ($307) fine, or both,” the Thai military stated, reported the BBC.
Thailand is a popular destination for Israeli tourists, especially young people recently released from service in the Israel Defense Forces. In 2013, 135,000 Israelis visited the tropical country, reported Yedioth Ahronoth. In the wake of the coup, the Israeli Foreign Ministry called the the situation in Thailand “sensitive and unpredictable.”
“Be alert and extra cautious, act in accordance with instructions from local authorities and stay tuned to media reports,” the Foreign Ministry advised, reported the Jerusalem Post.
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