Morgan Freeman visits Western Wall for National Geographic’s ‘Story of God’
(JNS.org) Beloved Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman arrived in Israel for a surprise visit this week as part of a television series he is filming for National Geographic.
The Oscar winner visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday, escorted by Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz. Due to the ongoing Palestinian terror wave, Freeman was accompanied by heavy security.
Freeman is currently working on a program titled “The Story of God,” which aims to provide an overview of the topic from sites around the world.
The actor, who has played or dubbed the voice of God in a number of productions over the years, told Variety earlier this year, “The story of God is one of the greatest mysteries and most important ideas in the world. For me, this is a personal and enduring quest to understand the divine, and I am humbled by the opportunity to take viewers along on this incredible journey.”
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Israeli cabinet officially designates 3 terrorist groups
(JNS.org) The Israeli cabinet on Sunday officially designated Islamic State, the Nusra Front, and the Abdullah Azzam Brigades as terrorist organizations, effectively outlawing any affiliation with them. The decision followed a recommendation by the Shin Bet security agency.
Speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “constantly fighting terrorist organizations.” The designation was made under Israel’s Prevention of Terror Ordinance. As such, anyone convicted of funding, contacting, or having any other form of affiliation with Islamic State, the Nusra Front, or the Abdullah Azzam Brigades (a Lebanon-based offshoot of al-Qaeda) will be subject to the punitive measures outlined in the ordinance, including long prison sentences.
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Israeli man wounded in Hebron stabbing in terror wave’s latest attack
(JNS.org) A 19-year-old Israeli man sustained severe injuries after being stabbed on Monday by a teenage Palestinian terrorist at the Beit Einun intersection, northeast of Hebron. The stabbing victim was evacuated to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center in serious and unstable condition.
The attacker, a 17-year-old resident of the nearby village of Sa’ir, was shot and killed by security forces at the scene.
A Magen David Adom paramedic who treated the victim said, “The 19-year-old man was conscious, suffering from a number of stab wounds all over his body. We provided life-saving treatment with the aim of transporting him to the hospital for an urgent operation. On the way, he received treatment to stop the bleeding.”
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Jewish family, including 3 children, injured in firebomb attack near Beit El
(JNS.org) Members of an Israeli Jewish family of five, including three children, were injured as a result of a Palestinian firebomb attack on their car near the Jewish community of Beit El in Samaria on Friday afternoon.
According to the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency response organization, the youngest victim, a 4-year-old girl, suffered moderate wounds with burns to her upper body. The four other victims—the girl’s father, mother, brother, and sister—were all lightly wounded with burns to their extremities.
All of the victims were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital for further treatment, MDA said. The family car was traveling along Route 60 towards Beit El, which is located north of Ramallah in central Samaria.
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UNRWA staffers suspended for inciting violence against Jews
(JNS.org) Several United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) employees were suspended for inciting violence and anti-Semitism.
“UNRWA condemns and will not tolerate anti-Semitism or racism in any form,” said Farhan Haq, the U.N. secretary-general’s deputy spokesman.
The suspension comes after two revelations by the watchdog group UN Watch documenting at least 22 UNRWA employees inciting anti-Semitic violence. This included UNRWA staff members, such as school teachers and principals, inciting Palestinian stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli Jews on social media, with one staffer issuing a call on Facebook to “stab Zionist dogs.”
According to Haq, the U.N. has been working closely with Facebook’s legal team on the removal of “more than 90 impostor or unauthorized Facebook pages” that were inciting violence and anti-Semitism.
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