10 july 2013
Israeli police on Tuesday rescued an ultra-Orthodox soldier who was attacked by a group of his coreligionists in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood, a spokesman said.
"Police rescued an ultra-Orthodox soldier who had taken refuge inside a building in Mea Shearim after being attacked by dozens of haredim," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, using the Hebrew word for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The soldier had taken refuge inside a building in the middle of the ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighbourhood after he was attacked by people throwing stones and called for help.
But when the police arrived, they too came under attack by stone-throwers who tried to stop them from rescuing the soldier, Rosenfeld said.
"Police were also attacked by 100-150 haredim who threw stones at them to prevent them from entering the building," he said.
The soldier was rescued unharmed and four of the stone-throwers were arrested, he added.
The incident came as a national debate rages over the issue of ultra-Orthodox Jews serving in the army.
The Israeli government on Sunday approved a draft law which would spell the end of a system which has seen tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox exempted from military service.
The bill, which is vehemently opposed by the ultra-Orthodox community, must now pass three readings in parliament before becoming law.
It seeks to amend the current situation in which ultra-Orthodox men have automatically been exempted if they are studying in religious seminaries, or yeshivas.
Military service is compulsory in Israel, with men serving three years and women two.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up roughly 10 percent of Israel's population of just over eight million.
"Police rescued an ultra-Orthodox soldier who had taken refuge inside a building in Mea Shearim after being attacked by dozens of haredim," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, using the Hebrew word for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The soldier had taken refuge inside a building in the middle of the ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighbourhood after he was attacked by people throwing stones and called for help.
But when the police arrived, they too came under attack by stone-throwers who tried to stop them from rescuing the soldier, Rosenfeld said.
"Police were also attacked by 100-150 haredim who threw stones at them to prevent them from entering the building," he said.
The soldier was rescued unharmed and four of the stone-throwers were arrested, he added.
The incident came as a national debate rages over the issue of ultra-Orthodox Jews serving in the army.
The Israeli government on Sunday approved a draft law which would spell the end of a system which has seen tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox exempted from military service.
The bill, which is vehemently opposed by the ultra-Orthodox community, must now pass three readings in parliament before becoming law.
It seeks to amend the current situation in which ultra-Orthodox men have automatically been exempted if they are studying in religious seminaries, or yeshivas.
Military service is compulsory in Israel, with men serving three years and women two.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up roughly 10 percent of Israel's population of just over eight million.
9 july 2013
Yediot Ahranot Israeli newspaper reported on Tuesday that Israel held at least one other prisoner under the same conditions under which former Mossad agent Ben Zygier, known as "Prisoner X," was held.
It's worth mentinoing that Zygier has committed suicide in an Israeli top-security prison in 2010 and whose case was made headlines in early 2013.
The second man was also held in a private cell in the Ayalon prison, Yediot Ahranot added.
No other details of the man's circumstances were revealed yet.
Israel jails Mossad agent Prisoner X2: Report
Israel has imprisoned a Mossad agent in the same prison where the intelligence agent Ben Zygier known as Prisoner X was jailed and later found hanged, a newspaper report says.
The Israeli daily Ha'aretz published a report on Tuesday revealing that the Mossad agent aka Prisoner X2 was being held at Ayalon prison in Ramle, situated in central Israel.
The report did not disclose why the unnamed man was jailed in the maximum security prison near Tel Aviv.
On February 12, reporter Trevor Bormann revealed on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the 34-year-old Zygier who had worked for Mossad for ten years was “found hanged in a cell with state-of-the-art surveillance systems” near Tel Aviv in December 2010.
Following the revelation, the Tel Aviv regime was forced to admit that Zygier had been jailed under a false identity “for security reasons” despite nearly two years of great efforts to cover up the secret.
A report by the New York Times quoting the Kuwaiti daily Al Jarida on February 14, said Zygier was among the 26 suspects in a murder plot in which Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas official, was tracked and killed in his hotel room hours after his arrival in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in January 2010.
The assassins had reportedly used fake passports from Australia, Britain, Ireland, Germany and France, among other countries.
The report added that Prisoner X had provided the officials in Dubai with “names and pictures and accurate details” in exchange for protection.
However, the Israeli regime kidnapped him from his hideout and jailed him over treason nearly a month after the operation over the speculation that he had been on the verge of exposing Tel Aviv’s secrets about the passports.
It's worth mentinoing that Zygier has committed suicide in an Israeli top-security prison in 2010 and whose case was made headlines in early 2013.
The second man was also held in a private cell in the Ayalon prison, Yediot Ahranot added.
No other details of the man's circumstances were revealed yet.
Israel jails Mossad agent Prisoner X2: Report
Israel has imprisoned a Mossad agent in the same prison where the intelligence agent Ben Zygier known as Prisoner X was jailed and later found hanged, a newspaper report says.
The Israeli daily Ha'aretz published a report on Tuesday revealing that the Mossad agent aka Prisoner X2 was being held at Ayalon prison in Ramle, situated in central Israel.
The report did not disclose why the unnamed man was jailed in the maximum security prison near Tel Aviv.
On February 12, reporter Trevor Bormann revealed on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the 34-year-old Zygier who had worked for Mossad for ten years was “found hanged in a cell with state-of-the-art surveillance systems” near Tel Aviv in December 2010.
Following the revelation, the Tel Aviv regime was forced to admit that Zygier had been jailed under a false identity “for security reasons” despite nearly two years of great efforts to cover up the secret.
A report by the New York Times quoting the Kuwaiti daily Al Jarida on February 14, said Zygier was among the 26 suspects in a murder plot in which Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas official, was tracked and killed in his hotel room hours after his arrival in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in January 2010.
The assassins had reportedly used fake passports from Australia, Britain, Ireland, Germany and France, among other countries.
The report added that Prisoner X had provided the officials in Dubai with “names and pictures and accurate details” in exchange for protection.
However, the Israeli regime kidnapped him from his hideout and jailed him over treason nearly a month after the operation over the speculation that he had been on the verge of exposing Tel Aviv’s secrets about the passports.
8 july 2013
Julani in hospital
Three youths who took part in two racially-motivated assaults in Jerusalem last year given prison sentences as long as eight months
Three teens who assaulted Arabs last year were handed prison sentences on Monday morning.
The Jerusalem Magistrates' Court sentenced one youth to eight months imprisonment for his part in the assault of Jamal Julani in the capital's Zion Square and his involvement in a separate attack on Arabs earlier that night.
Another defendant involved in one of incidents received three months in prison. A third defendant who took part in the event but was involved in the physical assault was sent to one month in prison.
"The attack on Julani was nothing short of a lynch," the judge said. "The rioters decided he was not a person but an object they could play with as they pleased." The indictments filed in the case distinguish between two events which took place in August 2012: the assault of unknown Arab victims in Jerusalem's Nahalat Shiva neighborhood and the assault of Julani by 10 youths.
To date, seven plea bargains were reached with assailants in the first incident who were charged with incitement to violence and aggravated racist assault.
Three youths who took part in two racially-motivated assaults in Jerusalem last year given prison sentences as long as eight months
Three teens who assaulted Arabs last year were handed prison sentences on Monday morning.
The Jerusalem Magistrates' Court sentenced one youth to eight months imprisonment for his part in the assault of Jamal Julani in the capital's Zion Square and his involvement in a separate attack on Arabs earlier that night.
Another defendant involved in one of incidents received three months in prison. A third defendant who took part in the event but was involved in the physical assault was sent to one month in prison.
"The attack on Julani was nothing short of a lynch," the judge said. "The rioters decided he was not a person but an object they could play with as they pleased." The indictments filed in the case distinguish between two events which took place in August 2012: the assault of unknown Arab victims in Jerusalem's Nahalat Shiva neighborhood and the assault of Julani by 10 youths.
To date, seven plea bargains were reached with assailants in the first incident who were charged with incitement to violence and aggravated racist assault.
One of the defendants
Judge Yaakov Zaban sentenced one of the main defendants in the case, who was 16-years-old at the time, to eight months in prison. He was convicted of racially motivated aggravated battery and aiding and abetting.
Judge Yaakov Zaban sentenced one of the main defendants in the case, who was 16-years-old at the time, to eight months in prison. He was convicted of racially motivated aggravated battery and aiding and abetting.
Another defendant
The second defendant, who received three months, was convicted of incitement to violence. The third defendant was convicted of aiding and abetting.
The two were 15 at the time.
Related stories:
The second defendant, who received three months, was convicted of incitement to violence. The third defendant was convicted of aiding and abetting.
The two were 15 at the time.
Related stories:
West Bank: 18-year-old suspected of raping niece for 5 years
An 18-year-old teen from the West Bank was arrested on suspicion he raped his niece for five years since she was 10. He is suspected of threatening tell the family of their relations if she did not cooperate.
The suspect will face a remand hearing later on Monday.
An 18-year-old teen from the West Bank was arrested on suspicion he raped his niece for five years since she was 10. He is suspected of threatening tell the family of their relations if she did not cooperate.
The suspect will face a remand hearing later on Monday.
Inmates at Maasiyahu Prison
Prisoners get only 2.9 square meters of cell space per person, compared to 8.8 square meters in the West, according to the Public Defender's Office, leading to friction and limiting rehabilitation prospects.
Israeli inmates are allotted roughly a third of the living space the average prisoner gets in the West, according to an annual report released by the Public Defender’s Office, which concluded that Israeli prisons are too crowded.
According to the report, Israeli prisoners get only 2.9 square meters of cell space per person, compared to 8.8 square meters in the West.
The Public Defender’s Office, which has been issuing reports on prison conditions each year since 2002, has continually warned about the overcrowding in prisons and detention facilities.
Israel Prison Service reports have also put living space per prisoner at about three square meters, a figure that hasn’t improved significantly since the 1990s. In newer prisons, a standard was set at 4.5 square meters per prisoner, which includes the toilet and shower area of the cell. By way of comparison, each prisoner in Finland is assigned 10 square meters of cell space; Spain allots 7.4 square meters, Holland, 12 square meters and England, 6.8 square meters.
The public defender’s report indicates that only 11% of prisoners have living space of more than 4.5 square meters; a quarter of the inmates are assigned a maximum of 2.9 square meters and more than half of the prisoners (59%) live in three square meters or less. Some 43 percent of the cells hold nine prisoners or more and 75 percent have more than four prisoners, though prison and detention regulations stipulate no more than four beds per cell.
The report lists shortcomings at 17 detention facilities, including the Nitzan Detention Center, where, according to the report, when a prisoner gets out of bed and stands up there is no room to move about in the cell. In the working prisoners wing a cell designated for six detainees is 12 square meters in size, i.e., two square meters per detainee. In Wing 12 of the Maasiyahu Prison there are cells 15 square meters in size that house 10 prisoners, so that the average space per prisoner is 1.5 square meters. In the Saharonim detention facility, which is intended for migrants who have not been charged with anything, the size of each cell is 21.45 square meters; every such cell houses up to 10 detainees, giving each only about 2.1 square meters of space. The Neveh Tirza women’s prison has cells 10 square meters in size, each housing six women, which amounts to 1.6 square meters per person.
Prisoners told the inspectors who researched the report that the overcrowding leads to friction between inmates and stymies their rehabilitation prospects.
“Overcrowding in detention facilities is first and foremost a social problem," the report says. “Crowding has serious effects on the prisoner’s physical and mental condition and his attitude to his environment; it undermines the prisoner’s rehabilitation prospects and increases the risk of recidivism after his release from prison. Thus, prison overcrowding is not just a personal problem for the prisoner, but a matter of public interest that should concern all of society.”
The defender's office suggests that legislation be passed to set standards for proper living space for prisoners and detainees, that would also apply to existing prisons, which would need to be renovated and their most crowded prison wings closed.
The worsening congestion, according to the report, is due to the sharp increase in the number of criminal (non-security) prisoners: Between 1996 and 2013 the number of such prisoners more than doubled, from 7,300 to 14,800. There was also an increase in the number of arrests, which resulted in crowded detention facilities. The defender’s office also lamented the overly lengthy parole hearings which significant delay the release of prisoners who are eventually found eligible for early release.
The Prison Service has said in response that it has “been careful over the years to improve the living conditions, making optimal use of the limited resources and developing alternatives to incarceration. As part of the multi-year program to improve living conditions, 1,100 spaces have been renovated or expanded over the past three years, increasing living space by an average of 1.3 square meters per prisoner. It’s important to emphasize that during the renovation process, we need to close wings, which immediately reduces the number of prison slots.
“Over the past decade a number of prisons have been built and expanded, and their living space averages five square meters. The IPS has also begun building a new prison for women in the south that will suit the needs and conditions required for holding female prisoners. The IPS sees improving living conditions as one of its important tasks and will continue to pursue it to the degree possible.”
Prisoners get only 2.9 square meters of cell space per person, compared to 8.8 square meters in the West, according to the Public Defender's Office, leading to friction and limiting rehabilitation prospects.
Israeli inmates are allotted roughly a third of the living space the average prisoner gets in the West, according to an annual report released by the Public Defender’s Office, which concluded that Israeli prisons are too crowded.
According to the report, Israeli prisoners get only 2.9 square meters of cell space per person, compared to 8.8 square meters in the West.
The Public Defender’s Office, which has been issuing reports on prison conditions each year since 2002, has continually warned about the overcrowding in prisons and detention facilities.
Israel Prison Service reports have also put living space per prisoner at about three square meters, a figure that hasn’t improved significantly since the 1990s. In newer prisons, a standard was set at 4.5 square meters per prisoner, which includes the toilet and shower area of the cell. By way of comparison, each prisoner in Finland is assigned 10 square meters of cell space; Spain allots 7.4 square meters, Holland, 12 square meters and England, 6.8 square meters.
The public defender’s report indicates that only 11% of prisoners have living space of more than 4.5 square meters; a quarter of the inmates are assigned a maximum of 2.9 square meters and more than half of the prisoners (59%) live in three square meters or less. Some 43 percent of the cells hold nine prisoners or more and 75 percent have more than four prisoners, though prison and detention regulations stipulate no more than four beds per cell.
The report lists shortcomings at 17 detention facilities, including the Nitzan Detention Center, where, according to the report, when a prisoner gets out of bed and stands up there is no room to move about in the cell. In the working prisoners wing a cell designated for six detainees is 12 square meters in size, i.e., two square meters per detainee. In Wing 12 of the Maasiyahu Prison there are cells 15 square meters in size that house 10 prisoners, so that the average space per prisoner is 1.5 square meters. In the Saharonim detention facility, which is intended for migrants who have not been charged with anything, the size of each cell is 21.45 square meters; every such cell houses up to 10 detainees, giving each only about 2.1 square meters of space. The Neveh Tirza women’s prison has cells 10 square meters in size, each housing six women, which amounts to 1.6 square meters per person.
Prisoners told the inspectors who researched the report that the overcrowding leads to friction between inmates and stymies their rehabilitation prospects.
“Overcrowding in detention facilities is first and foremost a social problem," the report says. “Crowding has serious effects on the prisoner’s physical and mental condition and his attitude to his environment; it undermines the prisoner’s rehabilitation prospects and increases the risk of recidivism after his release from prison. Thus, prison overcrowding is not just a personal problem for the prisoner, but a matter of public interest that should concern all of society.”
The defender's office suggests that legislation be passed to set standards for proper living space for prisoners and detainees, that would also apply to existing prisons, which would need to be renovated and their most crowded prison wings closed.
The worsening congestion, according to the report, is due to the sharp increase in the number of criminal (non-security) prisoners: Between 1996 and 2013 the number of such prisoners more than doubled, from 7,300 to 14,800. There was also an increase in the number of arrests, which resulted in crowded detention facilities. The defender’s office also lamented the overly lengthy parole hearings which significant delay the release of prisoners who are eventually found eligible for early release.
The Prison Service has said in response that it has “been careful over the years to improve the living conditions, making optimal use of the limited resources and developing alternatives to incarceration. As part of the multi-year program to improve living conditions, 1,100 spaces have been renovated or expanded over the past three years, increasing living space by an average of 1.3 square meters per prisoner. It’s important to emphasize that during the renovation process, we need to close wings, which immediately reduces the number of prison slots.
“Over the past decade a number of prisons have been built and expanded, and their living space averages five square meters. The IPS has also begun building a new prison for women in the south that will suit the needs and conditions required for holding female prisoners. The IPS sees improving living conditions as one of its important tasks and will continue to pursue it to the degree possible.”
J'lem: 3 hurt in clashes between Jews, Arabs in Mount of Olives
Clashes erupted between Jews and Arabs at an olive grove near the cemetery in the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem after several Jewish residents set up a sukkah at the site.
Two Arabs were lightly injured and were evacuated by the Red Crescent. A Jewish man sustained a head wound and was treated at the scene. Officers called to the scene separated the sides.
One Jewish man was detained for questioning.
Clashes erupted between Jews and Arabs at an olive grove near the cemetery in the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem after several Jewish residents set up a sukkah at the site.
Two Arabs were lightly injured and were evacuated by the Red Crescent. A Jewish man sustained a head wound and was treated at the scene. Officers called to the scene separated the sides.
One Jewish man was detained for questioning.
2 nightclub employees raped 2 girls, filmed on mobiles
Two employees of a night club on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, Lior Bracha and Simon Astarkin, both in their 20s, are accused of raping two girls who were at the club and taking photos of the acts on their mobile phones.
The indictment alleges that two men performed a number of sexual offenses on the girls, including rape, sodomy and indecent acts, all while the girls were under the influence of alcohol provided them by the accused.
Two employees of a night club on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, Lior Bracha and Simon Astarkin, both in their 20s, are accused of raping two girls who were at the club and taking photos of the acts on their mobile phones.
The indictment alleges that two men performed a number of sexual offenses on the girls, including rape, sodomy and indecent acts, all while the girls were under the influence of alcohol provided them by the accused.
Felician in court
Main suspect in 2009 shooting charged with two counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder
An indictment has been filed with the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday against Hagai Felician for two counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder in the 2009 gay youth center shooting.
According to the indictment, Felician, 23, sought to harm then Barnoar manager Shaul Ganon and "intentionally cause the death of the center's visitors."
The Barboar shooting left Nir Katz, 26, and Liz Turbeshi, 16, dead and several others wounded. The indictment stated that Felician "had fired at the people at the center with intent to indiscriminately kill anyone caught in the line of fire. He then went into side rooms looking for other victims and fired at them with intent to kill. The defendant left the scene only after he ran out of ammunition."
The indictment further suggested that at an unspecified time, Felician learned that Ganon had sexually assaulted one of his relatives. He then turned to who would later become the state witness in the case and asked him for details about Ganon and the Barnoar center.
Main suspect in 2009 shooting charged with two counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder
An indictment has been filed with the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday against Hagai Felician for two counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder in the 2009 gay youth center shooting.
According to the indictment, Felician, 23, sought to harm then Barnoar manager Shaul Ganon and "intentionally cause the death of the center's visitors."
The Barboar shooting left Nir Katz, 26, and Liz Turbeshi, 16, dead and several others wounded. The indictment stated that Felician "had fired at the people at the center with intent to indiscriminately kill anyone caught in the line of fire. He then went into side rooms looking for other victims and fired at them with intent to kill. The defendant left the scene only after he ran out of ammunition."
The indictment further suggested that at an unspecified time, Felician learned that Ganon had sexually assaulted one of his relatives. He then turned to who would later become the state witness in the case and asked him for details about Ganon and the Barnoar center.
Victims Nir Katz and Liz Trubeshi
It was at this stage that Felician had decided on the shooting in order to avenge the sexual assault. According to the indictment, Felician acted out of a desire of revenge and "hostility toward the victims' sexual orientation."
The State Prosecutor's Office has motioned to remand Felician pending the conclusion of all legal proceedings. It presented the court with evidence allegedly proving Felician's guilt. In a text message date June 2, 2013 Felician wrote to the state witness "I don't understand why you're trying to open up what is dead. Don't wake the dead, it's our freedom we're talking about here." A text message dated June 3, 2013 read: "Listen carefully, it's been four years. It's been quiet so far, let's keep it that way...no one can know it was us, we did a clean job at the Barnoar."
The State is also claiming that Felician had implicated himself during his time in custody. He allegedly told officers that he hid the gun he used in the shooting and burned his clothes.
He also noted he regretted ever trusting the state witness and admitted he tried to coordinate stories with another suspect.
An indictment has also been filed against one of Felician's relatives on weapons trafficking charges.
Related stories:
It was at this stage that Felician had decided on the shooting in order to avenge the sexual assault. According to the indictment, Felician acted out of a desire of revenge and "hostility toward the victims' sexual orientation."
The State Prosecutor's Office has motioned to remand Felician pending the conclusion of all legal proceedings. It presented the court with evidence allegedly proving Felician's guilt. In a text message date June 2, 2013 Felician wrote to the state witness "I don't understand why you're trying to open up what is dead. Don't wake the dead, it's our freedom we're talking about here." A text message dated June 3, 2013 read: "Listen carefully, it's been four years. It's been quiet so far, let's keep it that way...no one can know it was us, we did a clean job at the Barnoar."
The State is also claiming that Felician had implicated himself during his time in custody. He allegedly told officers that he hid the gun he used in the shooting and burned his clothes.
He also noted he regretted ever trusting the state witness and admitted he tried to coordinate stories with another suspect.
An indictment has also been filed against one of Felician's relatives on weapons trafficking charges.
Related stories:
2 suspected of stealing hundreds of mobiles
Two young men, ages 18 and 21, were arrested under suspicion of stealing hundreds of smartphones while riding on a motorbike around Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak.
During questioning by police it was learned that the suspects had been stealing between three to five cell phones per day and selling them online. The two have been remanded for three days and the intention is to file charges against them.
Two young men, ages 18 and 21, were arrested under suspicion of stealing hundreds of smartphones while riding on a motorbike around Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak.
During questioning by police it was learned that the suspects had been stealing between three to five cell phones per day and selling them online. The two have been remanded for three days and the intention is to file charges against them.
Clashes at Kotel
Some 5,000 ultra-Orthodox girls, dozens of haredi teens cause police to move Women of the Wall to distant prayer area. Women of the Wall: Police succumbed to haredi bullying
Thousands of haredim prevented the Women of the Wall from praying at their usual spot in the women's section at the Western Wall on Monday.
Some 5,000 ultra-Orthodox girls and dozens of haredi youths gathered at the site in an attempt to disrupt the monthly prayer. The women were then moved to a different location.
The youths shouted out hate slogans in order to drown out the women's prayer. Eggs and water bags were hurled at the women. Police detained two people for questioning.
Leslie Zacks, director of the Women of the Wall organization, said in response, "Today police succumbed to haredi bullying and put us at the back of the bus again. Had we arrived without the police escort we would have been able to secure a spot near the Kotel as we've done for the past 24 years." Reform movement leader Rabbi Gilad Kariv condemned the acts. "Israel Police have violated the court ruling allowing the Women of the Wall to pray and have rewarded a small group of haredi provocateurs and rabbis engaged in spreading hatred," he said.
"Israel Police have forgotten that they have a duty to safeguard freedom of religion at the Western Wall and not lock up worshippers." Kariv called on the cabinet secretary and relevant ministers to intervene. Jerusalem's acting mayor Yossi Deutsch (United Torah Judaism), who was among the protest's organizers, said: "The Western Wall is a place that unites the Jewish people. It's a shame that on the first day of the Month of Av a group of women would come here and divide the people."
Recent months have seen police step up enforcement against Women of the Wall and detain several women who broke the High Court ruling in the case. This has sparked outrage among non-Orthodox Jewish factions who called on the government to intervene. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked Jewish Agency chief Natan Sharanksy with finding a solution that would be acceptable to all parties involved. Sharanksy has formed a plan to expand the prayer area by dozens of meters and divide it to three sections: one for men, one for women and one where all are free to worship.
Some 5,000 ultra-Orthodox girls, dozens of haredi teens cause police to move Women of the Wall to distant prayer area. Women of the Wall: Police succumbed to haredi bullying
Thousands of haredim prevented the Women of the Wall from praying at their usual spot in the women's section at the Western Wall on Monday.
Some 5,000 ultra-Orthodox girls and dozens of haredi youths gathered at the site in an attempt to disrupt the monthly prayer. The women were then moved to a different location.
The youths shouted out hate slogans in order to drown out the women's prayer. Eggs and water bags were hurled at the women. Police detained two people for questioning.
Leslie Zacks, director of the Women of the Wall organization, said in response, "Today police succumbed to haredi bullying and put us at the back of the bus again. Had we arrived without the police escort we would have been able to secure a spot near the Kotel as we've done for the past 24 years." Reform movement leader Rabbi Gilad Kariv condemned the acts. "Israel Police have violated the court ruling allowing the Women of the Wall to pray and have rewarded a small group of haredi provocateurs and rabbis engaged in spreading hatred," he said.
"Israel Police have forgotten that they have a duty to safeguard freedom of religion at the Western Wall and not lock up worshippers." Kariv called on the cabinet secretary and relevant ministers to intervene. Jerusalem's acting mayor Yossi Deutsch (United Torah Judaism), who was among the protest's organizers, said: "The Western Wall is a place that unites the Jewish people. It's a shame that on the first day of the Month of Av a group of women would come here and divide the people."
Recent months have seen police step up enforcement against Women of the Wall and detain several women who broke the High Court ruling in the case. This has sparked outrage among non-Orthodox Jewish factions who called on the government to intervene. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked Jewish Agency chief Natan Sharanksy with finding a solution that would be acceptable to all parties involved. Sharanksy has formed a plan to expand the prayer area by dozens of meters and divide it to three sections: one for men, one for women and one where all are free to worship.
7 july 2013
Beitar Jerusalem FC fan remanded for alleged assault of Arabs
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court remanded by an additional four days Avi Ovadia, 24, Beitar Jerusalem FC fan, who is suspected of participating in the assault of two Arab McDonalds employees last week.
He is suspected of shouting racial slurs, assault and unruly behavior in a public space. Another fan was released to house arrest for a week and is banned from attending the FC's matches for two seasons.
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court remanded by an additional four days Avi Ovadia, 24, Beitar Jerusalem FC fan, who is suspected of participating in the assault of two Arab McDonalds employees last week.
He is suspected of shouting racial slurs, assault and unruly behavior in a public space. Another fan was released to house arrest for a week and is banned from attending the FC's matches for two seasons.
50-year-old from Elad suspected of molesting neighbors' kids
A 50-year-old resident of Elad has been arrested under suspicion of regularly molesting his neighbors' children. The suspect was arrested after one of the children told his father of the alleged acts, and the latter filed a complaint with the police.
The suspect denied the allegations in his interrogation and claimed the children are tormenting him.
A 50-year-old resident of Elad has been arrested under suspicion of regularly molesting his neighbors' children. The suspect was arrested after one of the children told his father of the alleged acts, and the latter filed a complaint with the police.
The suspect denied the allegations in his interrogation and claimed the children are tormenting him.
Man indicted for killing aunt with axe for evicting his mother
The Haifa District Prosecutor's Office filed the city's District Court with an indictment against Mustafa Hussein Mahjna, 36-year-old from Umm al-Fahm, accusing him of murdering his aunt by hitting her over the head with an axe and stabbing her 13 times. Allegedly, he later hid her body in a refrigerator.
According to the indictment, his motive was the aunt's decision to evict his mother from an apartment owned by the deceased.
The Haifa District Prosecutor's Office filed the city's District Court with an indictment against Mustafa Hussein Mahjna, 36-year-old from Umm al-Fahm, accusing him of murdering his aunt by hitting her over the head with an axe and stabbing her 13 times. Allegedly, he later hid her body in a refrigerator.
According to the indictment, his motive was the aunt's decision to evict his mother from an apartment owned by the deceased.
The Kfar Saba Magistrate's Court released for house arrest for five days the three teens from Netanya suspected of raping a 12-year-old and performing sodomy and indecent acts against her. According to the suspicions, they first met on Facebook. The release was agreed upon by both sides.
One of suspects' lawyer said the police decided on their release after they were shown messages between the girl and the teens, in which she presented herself as older. In the affair 11 teens were arrested, but were since all released.
One of suspects' lawyer said the police decided on their release after they were shown messages between the girl and the teens, in which she presented herself as older. In the affair 11 teens were arrested, but were since all released.
Israeli police have arrested a man suspected of murdering his two young Bedouin daughters in a Negev village, Israeli media reported Sunday.
The man was arrested Tuesday after hiding in caves near the Dead Sea for 40 days, the Israeli news site Haaretz reported. He is suspected of killing his daughters Asinad, 2, and Ramais, 3, in May.
Southern Region Police Commander Yoram Halevy said the man had hidden in open areas, caves and ravines, Haaretz reported.
"This manhunt was conducted by the best units in the Israel Police, using the most advanced technology that exists in the organization," Halevy said. "We are making enormous efforts to collect all the necessary evidence so that there will be a solid basis for the Southern District Attorney to issue an indictment."
The suspect denies the charges and says his daughters were killed by someone from the West Bank who had a dispute with the victims' mother, public defender Tomer Urinov said, according to Haaretz.
The bereaved mother Abir Dandis, 27, obtained a court order to bury her daughters in al-Eizariya, her home town in East Jerusalem.
She told Ma'an she had donated the toddlers' organs in the hope they could save the lives of other children.
"The father's family deprived me of my daughters when they were alive since I broke up with my husband on 1 November 2011. At that time, Asinad was three months old.
"Then my husband murdered them, and I decided to donate their organs to give life to patients who need organs," she told Ma'an.
Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino dismissed three senior officers for negligence in handling a complaint by the girls' mother a day before they were killed, Haaretz said.
The man was arrested Tuesday after hiding in caves near the Dead Sea for 40 days, the Israeli news site Haaretz reported. He is suspected of killing his daughters Asinad, 2, and Ramais, 3, in May.
Southern Region Police Commander Yoram Halevy said the man had hidden in open areas, caves and ravines, Haaretz reported.
"This manhunt was conducted by the best units in the Israel Police, using the most advanced technology that exists in the organization," Halevy said. "We are making enormous efforts to collect all the necessary evidence so that there will be a solid basis for the Southern District Attorney to issue an indictment."
The suspect denies the charges and says his daughters were killed by someone from the West Bank who had a dispute with the victims' mother, public defender Tomer Urinov said, according to Haaretz.
The bereaved mother Abir Dandis, 27, obtained a court order to bury her daughters in al-Eizariya, her home town in East Jerusalem.
She told Ma'an she had donated the toddlers' organs in the hope they could save the lives of other children.
"The father's family deprived me of my daughters when they were alive since I broke up with my husband on 1 November 2011. At that time, Asinad was three months old.
"Then my husband murdered them, and I decided to donate their organs to give life to patients who need organs," she told Ma'an.
Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino dismissed three senior officers for negligence in handling a complaint by the girls' mother a day before they were killed, Haaretz said.
The late Noy Cohen
Two weeks before graduation, Noy Cohen collapses, dies. Her parents discover her phone, including latest photos, is missing during shiva. Fellow schoolmate is suspected of stealing phone, deleting pictures
An 18-year-old girl from Rosh Ha'ayin area was arrested Sunday on suspicion of stealing a mobile phone that belonged to her friend, Noy Cohen, who collapsed in a pool and died last month. Noy Cohen was two weeks away from graduating high school, when a day at a Kibbutz pool turned horribly tragic. After getting out of the pool, Cohen started feeling ill. She was rushed to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and hospitalized while unconscious in the intensive care unit.
The doctors told family members that the girl suffers from severe hemorrhage in the brain, and Yedioth Ahronoth reported that her parents decided to not hold on to the slim hopes and keep her alive, but to donate her organs.
During the shiva, many came to comfort the family, among them Noy's schoolmates. While still sitting shiva, Cohen's parents realized her phone, an iPhone 5, was stolen from her room. The parents filed a complaint with the Rosh Ha'ayin police, which launched an investigation that revealed that the phone had personal materials, including recent photos of Noy prior to her death.
After filing the complaint, the family turned to the public for help, and an article about Noy Cohen's death and her mobile phone theft was published in Yedioth Ahronoth. During the investigation, the suspect's name came up - a fellow student of Cohen's who came to the shiva to console the family.
The investigators came to the suspect's house, where they found the stolen phone. In addition, they seized additional property suspected to be stolen. Police have also decided to investigate the girl's parents, after it became clear they were aware of their daughter's actions and did not report them. The daughter and her parents were detained.
When the phone was found, it became clear that all the personal data on it, including photos of the deceased before her death, was erased by the suspect. Police are making a great effort to restore the deleted material. At the end of the investigation it will be decided whether to arrest the young girl and bring her to court for a remand hearing.
A police source told Ynet: "It is a difficult investigation, but eventually we managed to figure out who stole the phone. Needless to say we were shocked to discover the suspect was friends with the deceased, and took advantage of her visit to the family's house to steal the phone. It is more shocking to us that the suspect, without any emotion, deleted images and other materials from the phone."
Two weeks before graduation, Noy Cohen collapses, dies. Her parents discover her phone, including latest photos, is missing during shiva. Fellow schoolmate is suspected of stealing phone, deleting pictures
An 18-year-old girl from Rosh Ha'ayin area was arrested Sunday on suspicion of stealing a mobile phone that belonged to her friend, Noy Cohen, who collapsed in a pool and died last month. Noy Cohen was two weeks away from graduating high school, when a day at a Kibbutz pool turned horribly tragic. After getting out of the pool, Cohen started feeling ill. She was rushed to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and hospitalized while unconscious in the intensive care unit.
The doctors told family members that the girl suffers from severe hemorrhage in the brain, and Yedioth Ahronoth reported that her parents decided to not hold on to the slim hopes and keep her alive, but to donate her organs.
During the shiva, many came to comfort the family, among them Noy's schoolmates. While still sitting shiva, Cohen's parents realized her phone, an iPhone 5, was stolen from her room. The parents filed a complaint with the Rosh Ha'ayin police, which launched an investigation that revealed that the phone had personal materials, including recent photos of Noy prior to her death.
After filing the complaint, the family turned to the public for help, and an article about Noy Cohen's death and her mobile phone theft was published in Yedioth Ahronoth. During the investigation, the suspect's name came up - a fellow student of Cohen's who came to the shiva to console the family.
The investigators came to the suspect's house, where they found the stolen phone. In addition, they seized additional property suspected to be stolen. Police have also decided to investigate the girl's parents, after it became clear they were aware of their daughter's actions and did not report them. The daughter and her parents were detained.
When the phone was found, it became clear that all the personal data on it, including photos of the deceased before her death, was erased by the suspect. Police are making a great effort to restore the deleted material. At the end of the investigation it will be decided whether to arrest the young girl and bring her to court for a remand hearing.
A police source told Ynet: "It is a difficult investigation, but eventually we managed to figure out who stole the phone. Needless to say we were shocked to discover the suspect was friends with the deceased, and took advantage of her visit to the family's house to steal the phone. It is more shocking to us that the suspect, without any emotion, deleted images and other materials from the phone."
6 july n2013
Man, woman in late twenties arrested for possession of over 26 kg of marijuana in car, as family crossed border from Egypt to Israel; police investigate attempted smuggling
Some 26.6 kg (nearly 59 pounds) of marijuana, hidden in the gas tank of a car making its a way across the border from Egypt to Israel, were caught Friday by border control at the Taba border crossing. The owners of the car in which the marijuana was found were arrested. The two are 27 and 29 and are residents of Israel's south.
According to suspicion, the two were on vacation in Sinai with their children and were on their way back to Israel Friday evening. At the crossing, security officers discovered some 40 packages of substance they believed to be marijuana.
The suspects were questioned at the crossing, and were then handed over to the Eilat police.
The Magen unit, southern police wing investigating drug smuggling from Egypt and Jordan, has confiscated the drug and will be investigating the couple.
Eilat District Police Chief, Ron Gertner, said that "in light of its geographic isolation, Eilat is forced to cooperate with unlikely partners in order to enforce the law and ensure that its residents and guests are secure. Eilat will not be a channel for drug transport."
Related stories:
Some 26.6 kg (nearly 59 pounds) of marijuana, hidden in the gas tank of a car making its a way across the border from Egypt to Israel, were caught Friday by border control at the Taba border crossing. The owners of the car in which the marijuana was found were arrested. The two are 27 and 29 and are residents of Israel's south.
According to suspicion, the two were on vacation in Sinai with their children and were on their way back to Israel Friday evening. At the crossing, security officers discovered some 40 packages of substance they believed to be marijuana.
The suspects were questioned at the crossing, and were then handed over to the Eilat police.
The Magen unit, southern police wing investigating drug smuggling from Egypt and Jordan, has confiscated the drug and will be investigating the couple.
Eilat District Police Chief, Ron Gertner, said that "in light of its geographic isolation, Eilat is forced to cooperate with unlikely partners in order to enforce the law and ensure that its residents and guests are secure. Eilat will not be a channel for drug transport."
Related stories:
5 july 2013
Ashkelon resident who failed third driving test sends his older brother to beat up driving instructor; incident filmed by security camera
A 27-year-old resident of Ashkelon attacked his driving instructor after failing his third driving test this week. Footage taken from a security camera shows the man and his older brother lunging at the instructor and beating him without warning.
"I've been a driving instructor for some 10 years now, and nothing like this has ever happened to me or any other instructor I know in the country," said the victim of the attack, Yair Ohana.
Speaking to Ynet, the 49-year-old driving instructor said "I never imagined someone I had met with on a daily basis would do something like this to me."
Ohana said his student's brother, who is 32 years old, asked to meet with him. "I told him I was busy, but he called the director of the driving school, who told me, 'What do you care? Explain to him why his brother failed.'"
The two met at 6 pm near the licensing office. "He just lunged at me," Ohana recalled. "He didn't say anything. No 'hello,' nothing. He began hitting me immediately."
The footage shows the brother breaking the driving instructor's glasses and dragging him to the street, "so that cars would hit me," said Ohana, a father of seven. "From there I went directly to get medical treatment. My lower lip was split open, and my false teeth were broken. I couldn't sleep at all that night because I couldn't believe what had happened to me," he told Ynet.
The two brothers fled the scene, but the older brother was arrested after Ohana filed a police complaint. On Friday he was indicted at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Police are still searching for the younger brother. Attorney Shani Farjoin, who is representing the defendant, said he claims the driving instructor was the one who initiated the fight.
Watch Video
Related stories:
A 27-year-old resident of Ashkelon attacked his driving instructor after failing his third driving test this week. Footage taken from a security camera shows the man and his older brother lunging at the instructor and beating him without warning.
"I've been a driving instructor for some 10 years now, and nothing like this has ever happened to me or any other instructor I know in the country," said the victim of the attack, Yair Ohana.
Speaking to Ynet, the 49-year-old driving instructor said "I never imagined someone I had met with on a daily basis would do something like this to me."
Ohana said his student's brother, who is 32 years old, asked to meet with him. "I told him I was busy, but he called the director of the driving school, who told me, 'What do you care? Explain to him why his brother failed.'"
The two met at 6 pm near the licensing office. "He just lunged at me," Ohana recalled. "He didn't say anything. No 'hello,' nothing. He began hitting me immediately."
The footage shows the brother breaking the driving instructor's glasses and dragging him to the street, "so that cars would hit me," said Ohana, a father of seven. "From there I went directly to get medical treatment. My lower lip was split open, and my false teeth were broken. I couldn't sleep at all that night because I couldn't believe what had happened to me," he told Ynet.
The two brothers fled the scene, but the older brother was arrested after Ohana filed a police complaint. On Friday he was indicted at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Police are still searching for the younger brother. Attorney Shani Farjoin, who is representing the defendant, said he claims the driving instructor was the one who initiated the fight.
Watch Video
Related stories:
4 july 2013
Eran Mizrahi, serial swindler
Eran Mizrahi, investment broker from upscale suburb in central Israel convicted of stealing over NIS 50M from clients, sentenced to 12 years. Judge: Public interest demands future thieves be deterred
The Tel Aviv Magistrate Court has sentenced an investment advisor accused of fraud to 12 years in prison. Eran Mizrahi, an investment advisor from the central city of Savyon, confessed to defrauding his clients of sums amounting to some NIS 57 million (roughly $16 million). The clients entrusted the money in his hands so that he would invest it on their behalf. Unbeknownst to them, however, Mizrahi kept the funds for his own personal use.
In his ruling, Judge Zvi Gurfinkel wrote that public interest demanded a severe punishment so as to deter future thieves and frauds. The 12-year sentence, according to the judge, sends a clear message that no investment yields quick and easy returns.
Bad investment
In addition to incarceration, Mizrahi was fined NIS 300,000 (roughly $82,000) and will have to pay tens of thousands of shekels in compensation to his clients.
Mizrahi, 41, was convicted last April of embezzlement, fraudulently obtaining benefits and forgery. He convinced his clients that by investing their money in Swiss Banks and foreign currency he could produce heavy returns on their initial investments. He gained their confidence by portraying himself as an expert in the field. Mizrahi's clients were forced to invest an initial sum of at least $500,000. Among his victims were a lawyer, accountant and senior executives in leading hi-tech companies can be found, as well as a number of close friends of the investment firm's owner.
It still remains unclear where the money currently is and whether the victims will ever see it again. Some of the clients placed very large sums of money – like those from the sale of a property, or even all of their savings – in his hands. All the while, Mizrahi is known to have been leading a luxurious life in the upscale suburb of Savyon, and often traveling abroad.
Mizrahi admitted to receiving the money, but insisted that any losses were the result of poor investment decisions. According to the judge, however, Mzrahi has perpetrated a "comprehensive fraud scheme spanning over years and pertaining to huge sums of money the defendant received from his victims, all the while knowing that in some cases it wall all they had."
Related stories:
Eran Mizrahi, investment broker from upscale suburb in central Israel convicted of stealing over NIS 50M from clients, sentenced to 12 years. Judge: Public interest demands future thieves be deterred
The Tel Aviv Magistrate Court has sentenced an investment advisor accused of fraud to 12 years in prison. Eran Mizrahi, an investment advisor from the central city of Savyon, confessed to defrauding his clients of sums amounting to some NIS 57 million (roughly $16 million). The clients entrusted the money in his hands so that he would invest it on their behalf. Unbeknownst to them, however, Mizrahi kept the funds for his own personal use.
In his ruling, Judge Zvi Gurfinkel wrote that public interest demanded a severe punishment so as to deter future thieves and frauds. The 12-year sentence, according to the judge, sends a clear message that no investment yields quick and easy returns.
Bad investment
In addition to incarceration, Mizrahi was fined NIS 300,000 (roughly $82,000) and will have to pay tens of thousands of shekels in compensation to his clients.
Mizrahi, 41, was convicted last April of embezzlement, fraudulently obtaining benefits and forgery. He convinced his clients that by investing their money in Swiss Banks and foreign currency he could produce heavy returns on their initial investments. He gained their confidence by portraying himself as an expert in the field. Mizrahi's clients were forced to invest an initial sum of at least $500,000. Among his victims were a lawyer, accountant and senior executives in leading hi-tech companies can be found, as well as a number of close friends of the investment firm's owner.
It still remains unclear where the money currently is and whether the victims will ever see it again. Some of the clients placed very large sums of money – like those from the sale of a property, or even all of their savings – in his hands. All the while, Mizrahi is known to have been leading a luxurious life in the upscale suburb of Savyon, and often traveling abroad.
Mizrahi admitted to receiving the money, but insisted that any losses were the result of poor investment decisions. According to the judge, however, Mzrahi has perpetrated a "comprehensive fraud scheme spanning over years and pertaining to huge sums of money the defendant received from his victims, all the while knowing that in some cases it wall all they had."
Related stories:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau chief Gil Sheffer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau chief has announced his resignation, making him the second top aide of the Israeli premier to quit in recent weeks.
Gil Sheffer replaced Nathan Eshel, who resigned last March over charges of misconduct and damaging civil service discipline for harassing a female staffer while in office.
According to reports, Sheffer has also been investigated over allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman more than a decade ago.
However, Sheffer has denied the allegations and said that his resignation is not related to the investigation.
“It was a year and a half ago; the investigation ended. There is no connection between my decision to leave and these claims,” Sheffer said.
Sheffer said that he will leave office by the end of July.
Reports say Netanyahu has accepted the resignation.
In February 2012, the Israeli justice ministry said that it had received information from a woman claiming to have been abused by Sheffer 15 years ago. Sheffer was serving as deputy bureau chief at the time of the complaint.
Meanwhile, Yaakov Amidror Maariv, a security adviser of the Israeli regime, is also reportedly quitting and is scheduled to leave in November. He served as one of Netanyahu’s top advisers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau chief has announced his resignation, making him the second top aide of the Israeli premier to quit in recent weeks.
Gil Sheffer replaced Nathan Eshel, who resigned last March over charges of misconduct and damaging civil service discipline for harassing a female staffer while in office.
According to reports, Sheffer has also been investigated over allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman more than a decade ago.
However, Sheffer has denied the allegations and said that his resignation is not related to the investigation.
“It was a year and a half ago; the investigation ended. There is no connection between my decision to leave and these claims,” Sheffer said.
Sheffer said that he will leave office by the end of July.
Reports say Netanyahu has accepted the resignation.
In February 2012, the Israeli justice ministry said that it had received information from a woman claiming to have been abused by Sheffer 15 years ago. Sheffer was serving as deputy bureau chief at the time of the complaint.
Meanwhile, Yaakov Amidror Maariv, a security adviser of the Israeli regime, is also reportedly quitting and is scheduled to leave in November. He served as one of Netanyahu’s top advisers.
