23 oct 2019
Far-right leader and attorney who represents one of 14 soldiers from the Kfir Brigade, claims the incident began when one of the young Bedouin men threatened to stab the troops; says the footage of the brawl was doctored by Bedouin employees at the gas station
Fourteen Israeli soldiers from an elite infantry brigade were arrested on suspicion of being involved in a mass brawl with Bedouin youth at a gas station in southern Israel last week.
The Kfir Brigade troops were to be brought before court on Wednesday where their remand was to be extended. The soldiers are accused of assault, threats and unlawful use of weapons.
The incident in the Dor Alon gas station at Dvir Junction, near the city of Be’er Sheva, was caught by security cameras and the footage was later made public by the station’s staff.
Attorney and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has taken on the task of representing the soldiers’ squad commander, said the incident began when one of the young Bedouin men threatened to stab the soldiers.
“He (Ben-Gvir's client) behaved in the most reasonable way he could at that moment,” Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Ynet. “He ran up and engaged the man. He told me: 'Itamar, I did what I was taught.'”
The far-right leader went on to imply the footage of the incident had been doctored and doesn’t show the full picture.
"Whoever distributed them (the videos) is the one who’s in control of them,” he said. “Unfortunately, those who distributed the videos are Bedouin employees who fully support the Bedouin youth.”
Ben-Gvir said that had the soldiers been confronted by the so-called hilltop youth, people would’ve asked why the soldiers didn’t open fire at them.
Fourteen Israeli soldiers from an elite infantry brigade were arrested on suspicion of being involved in a mass brawl with Bedouin youth at a gas station in southern Israel last week.
The Kfir Brigade troops were to be brought before court on Wednesday where their remand was to be extended. The soldiers are accused of assault, threats and unlawful use of weapons.
The incident in the Dor Alon gas station at Dvir Junction, near the city of Be’er Sheva, was caught by security cameras and the footage was later made public by the station’s staff.
Attorney and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has taken on the task of representing the soldiers’ squad commander, said the incident began when one of the young Bedouin men threatened to stab the soldiers.
“He (Ben-Gvir's client) behaved in the most reasonable way he could at that moment,” Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Ynet. “He ran up and engaged the man. He told me: 'Itamar, I did what I was taught.'”
The far-right leader went on to imply the footage of the incident had been doctored and doesn’t show the full picture.
"Whoever distributed them (the videos) is the one who’s in control of them,” he said. “Unfortunately, those who distributed the videos are Bedouin employees who fully support the Bedouin youth.”
Ben-Gvir said that had the soldiers been confronted by the so-called hilltop youth, people would’ve asked why the soldiers didn’t open fire at them.
Australian PM meets with 2 alleged victims
PM Scott Morrison says he'll ask the next Israeli government for a quick resolution to the extradition saga of former Melbourne school principle Malka Leifer, after meeting with 2 of her alleged victims
Australia's prime minister says he will raise with Israel's next administration the need for a quick resolution to a 5-year-old extradition battle over an Israeli educator accused of child sex abuse in an Australian school.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement on Wednesday after meeting with sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, who were allegedly abused by Malka Leifer in a Melbourne school.
The 52-year-old fled to Israel in 2008 after the allegations first emerged.
"My government is strongly committed to ensuring that justice is served in the case of Malka Leifer," Morrison said. "We call for the matter to be resolved transparently and quickly."
"We also reaffirm our commitment to have Malka Leifer extradited to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse," Morrison added.
Erlich told reporters outside Parliament House that she and her sister wanted the government "to do more."
"Enough is enough. We don't want platitudes, we want action," Erlich said.
"This has taken a tremendous toll on both of our lives. Traveling back and forth, not seeing any results, the frustrations, knowing at some point she might get bail, it's had an emotional toll on our lives," Erlich said.
Myer, her sister, said: "We're not just doing it for ourselves. We're trying to give a message to all survivors that even if you have been abused, life can go on; justice should be served."
Government lawmaker Dave Sharma, who was Australian ambassador to Israel in 2014 when the extradition request was made, and opposition lawmaker Josh Burns joined the sisters at a news conference to demonstrate that Australia's major political parties were united in a bid to bring Leifer to justice.
Sharma said that after more than 60 Israeli court bearings, "we seem to be no closer to having Malka Leifer extradited."
"We are here today to send a very clear message to Israel that this case is a high priority for Australia and it's one we will be ceaseless in pursuing and it's one that unless resolved soon will have an impact on the broader relationship," Sharma said.
The Supreme Court last week upheld an appeal against a decision to release Leifer from jail to house arrest. Prosecutors argue she is feigning mental illness to dodge extradition.
The appeals court overturned a Jerusalem court's decision a week earlier to grant Leifer release to house arrest "in order to give adequate response to concerns that the accused will flee or obstruct justice."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week that he has failed to form a majority government in parliament, marking a major setback for the embattled leader that plunges the country into a new period of political uncertainty.
PM Scott Morrison says he'll ask the next Israeli government for a quick resolution to the extradition saga of former Melbourne school principle Malka Leifer, after meeting with 2 of her alleged victims
Australia's prime minister says he will raise with Israel's next administration the need for a quick resolution to a 5-year-old extradition battle over an Israeli educator accused of child sex abuse in an Australian school.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement on Wednesday after meeting with sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, who were allegedly abused by Malka Leifer in a Melbourne school.
The 52-year-old fled to Israel in 2008 after the allegations first emerged.
"My government is strongly committed to ensuring that justice is served in the case of Malka Leifer," Morrison said. "We call for the matter to be resolved transparently and quickly."
"We also reaffirm our commitment to have Malka Leifer extradited to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse," Morrison added.
Erlich told reporters outside Parliament House that she and her sister wanted the government "to do more."
"Enough is enough. We don't want platitudes, we want action," Erlich said.
"This has taken a tremendous toll on both of our lives. Traveling back and forth, not seeing any results, the frustrations, knowing at some point she might get bail, it's had an emotional toll on our lives," Erlich said.
Myer, her sister, said: "We're not just doing it for ourselves. We're trying to give a message to all survivors that even if you have been abused, life can go on; justice should be served."
Government lawmaker Dave Sharma, who was Australian ambassador to Israel in 2014 when the extradition request was made, and opposition lawmaker Josh Burns joined the sisters at a news conference to demonstrate that Australia's major political parties were united in a bid to bring Leifer to justice.
Sharma said that after more than 60 Israeli court bearings, "we seem to be no closer to having Malka Leifer extradited."
"We are here today to send a very clear message to Israel that this case is a high priority for Australia and it's one we will be ceaseless in pursuing and it's one that unless resolved soon will have an impact on the broader relationship," Sharma said.
The Supreme Court last week upheld an appeal against a decision to release Leifer from jail to house arrest. Prosecutors argue she is feigning mental illness to dodge extradition.
The appeals court overturned a Jerusalem court's decision a week earlier to grant Leifer release to house arrest "in order to give adequate response to concerns that the accused will flee or obstruct justice."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week that he has failed to form a majority government in parliament, marking a major setback for the embattled leader that plunges the country into a new period of political uncertainty.
20 oct 2019
Attorney Yaron London
Police say that the suspects, who hold French and Italian citizenship, were pretending to be senior executives of large companies seeking to make urgent money transfers; suspects deny all allegations
Four people were arrested last week at a carwash in Herzliya on suspicion of fraudulently taking 15 million euros from several European companies.
Over the past few months, companies in Norway and Italy have issued complaints about frauds originating in Israel.
An investigation by Tel Aviv District Police fraud department found that the suspects, who hold French and Italian citizenships, were pretending to be senior executives of large companies seeking to make urgent money transfers.
It is suspected that through this method, the suspects managed to defraud around 15 million euros.
The four were arrested in a carwash and police confiscated the suspects' luxury cars worth millions of shekels.
Attorney Yaron London, who represents some of the suspects, has denied all the allegations during the four suspects' remand extension hearing.
"The investigation is only at its beginning and my clients have nothing to do with the allegations made," said London.
"I believe that once they present their version of the story they will all be released."
The court extended the suspects' remand until Tuesday.
Police say that the suspects, who hold French and Italian citizenship, were pretending to be senior executives of large companies seeking to make urgent money transfers; suspects deny all allegations
Four people were arrested last week at a carwash in Herzliya on suspicion of fraudulently taking 15 million euros from several European companies.
Over the past few months, companies in Norway and Italy have issued complaints about frauds originating in Israel.
An investigation by Tel Aviv District Police fraud department found that the suspects, who hold French and Italian citizenships, were pretending to be senior executives of large companies seeking to make urgent money transfers.
It is suspected that through this method, the suspects managed to defraud around 15 million euros.
The four were arrested in a carwash and police confiscated the suspects' luxury cars worth millions of shekels.
Attorney Yaron London, who represents some of the suspects, has denied all the allegations during the four suspects' remand extension hearing.
"The investigation is only at its beginning and my clients have nothing to do with the allegations made," said London.
"I believe that once they present their version of the story they will all be released."
The court extended the suspects' remand until Tuesday.
IDF says group of some 30 settlers also slashed tires of troops' vehicle, soldiers responded by firing into the air in latest incident near Yitzhar settlement; army condemns attack, saying it 'views such incidents in a very harsh light'
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was lightly wounded in an attack by dozens of West Bank settlers overnight Saturday, the army said Sunday.
The group of some 30 settlers threw stones at the IDF patrol and slashed the tires on their vehicle during the 3am incident close to the settlement of Yitzhar in the northern West Bank.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the soldiers from the Golani Brigade responded with riot dispersal measures and fired into the air in accordance with the military's rules for opening fire.
"The IDF strongly condemns physical and verbal violence against its servicemen and views such incidents in a very harsh light," the army said.
The incident comes shortly after a resident of Yitzhar was arrested on suspicion of attacking the Golani Brigade patrol commander, Lt. Col. Ayub Kayuf.
According to the IDF, several settlers on Saturday night blocked the vehicle in which the officer was travelling, with one opening the vehicle's door and threatening to seize it.
Kayuf repelled the settlers and filed a complaint with the police.
Two days earlier, Golani military police arrested a youth from Yitzhar on suspicion of setting a fire in the valley between the hills of the settlement and the nearby Palestinian town of Huwara.
The area has long been the site of tensions between the residents of the Palestinian town and the settlers of Yitzhar, with Israeli troops often caught in the middle.
The head of Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan and IDF officials were trying to calm the situation on the ground on Sunday.
Dagan met with the soldiers who came under attack and told them that of the local residents' anger over the incident.
"All the residents of Samaria and Yitzhar are disgusted at the harm to our dear soldiers," he said.
"The handful who did this – youths who mostly came from outside the settlements - and will use all our tools at disposal to oust them from here. Yitzhar loves the IDF soldiers along with all the residents of Samaria."
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was lightly wounded in an attack by dozens of West Bank settlers overnight Saturday, the army said Sunday.
The group of some 30 settlers threw stones at the IDF patrol and slashed the tires on their vehicle during the 3am incident close to the settlement of Yitzhar in the northern West Bank.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the soldiers from the Golani Brigade responded with riot dispersal measures and fired into the air in accordance with the military's rules for opening fire.
"The IDF strongly condemns physical and verbal violence against its servicemen and views such incidents in a very harsh light," the army said.
The incident comes shortly after a resident of Yitzhar was arrested on suspicion of attacking the Golani Brigade patrol commander, Lt. Col. Ayub Kayuf.
According to the IDF, several settlers on Saturday night blocked the vehicle in which the officer was travelling, with one opening the vehicle's door and threatening to seize it.
Kayuf repelled the settlers and filed a complaint with the police.
Two days earlier, Golani military police arrested a youth from Yitzhar on suspicion of setting a fire in the valley between the hills of the settlement and the nearby Palestinian town of Huwara.
The area has long been the site of tensions between the residents of the Palestinian town and the settlers of Yitzhar, with Israeli troops often caught in the middle.
The head of Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan and IDF officials were trying to calm the situation on the ground on Sunday.
Dagan met with the soldiers who came under attack and told them that of the local residents' anger over the incident.
"All the residents of Samaria and Yitzhar are disgusted at the harm to our dear soldiers," he said.
"The handful who did this – youths who mostly came from outside the settlements - and will use all our tools at disposal to oust them from here. Yitzhar loves the IDF soldiers along with all the residents of Samaria."
17 oct 2019
Although Russia is third most-popular travel destination for Israelis, travel website reports drop in demand for flights and reservations to the country following 26-year-old's detention at Moscow airport with small amount of marijuana in her bags
Due to the imprisonment of 26-year-old Israeli Naama Issachar by Russian authorities, Israelis have begun boycotting Russian airlines, as well as trips to Moscow, Israel TV outlet Channel 12 reported.
The 26-year-old was arrested on April 9 while in transit in a Moscow airport, en route from India to Israel, carrying 9 grams of cannabis in her bags, which she said she had forgotten was there.
Russian authorities charged her with drug smuggling and sentenced her to a 7.5-year prison sentence.
According to findings published by Israel travel website Travelist, flight demands to Moscow decreased by 30% compared to last week - before Naama’s story broke in the media - while flight reservations to Moscow dropped by 11%.
Israeli-Russian Maria Elkin was supposed to travel to Moscow in February to participate in the city’s marathon, but canceled her flight reservation, citing Naama's arrest as the reason.
“I love the city and I will miss it dearly, but I won’t go back there any time soon. I also renounced my Russian citizenship," Elkin told Channel 12.
“I have a few friends that are appalled by Naama’s detention, but they are definitely not surprised,” she said.
“Every time I arrived in Russia, the feeling was that they are looking for you at the airport."
Yaron Avraham, who was supposed to travel with his family to Moscow, told Channel 12 that, "after Naama's case broke, we decided to cancel, there’s no point in traveling in fear."
“I prefer to look for another destination," he said.
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a pardon for Issachar.
Her family maintains that her severe sentence is intended to pressure Israel not to extradite a Russian national accused of hacking to the United States.
A sad state of affairs at the Foreign Ministry
A decade of government neglect has taken its toll on what should be the international face of Israel, and when Naama Isschar's mother sought help in freeing her daughter from a Russian prison, she says the ministry was ineffective
Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic deterioration in the status of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Much of the high-ranking diplomats' authorities was appropriated in favor of people close to the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and various governmental security agencies, among them Mossad Director Yossi Cohen and head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben-Shabat.
The ministry's budget has dwindled over the years, due among other things to the fact the at the head of it isn't a dedicated minister but the prime minster, a fact hurting its functioning.
"They're killing us, suppress them completely, they have no budget and no moral", says former Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad.
Evidence of this sad state of affairs can be seen in the way the ministry is dealing with the case of Naama Issachar, the 26-year-old Israeli sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in Russia and she was caught with 9.5 grams of cannabis at a Moscow airport.
Although Naama's mother Yaffa says the ministry provided her with a great deal of assistance over the last few weeks in her efforts to secure her daughter's release, the days following her initial arrest were fraught with communication problems.
"I know the ministry and the minister are trying to help Naama, but we were left without answers for many months," says Yaffa.
"Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely knew about our story for months. Do you think she called us? Where's the deputy minister? So what if Netanyahu is the minister in charge? I can't call him directly, so I called her. Why didn't you help me when I requested it four-five months ago? Where were you? I cried and I begged, I went to you in Jerusalem and called you," she says.
The difficulties continued when Israel Katz took over as foreign minister.
"My brother for a whole week called about four different phone numbers saying, 'I want to meet the minister'. One of the clerks said that he couldn't meet him. No one called him back. Eventually one of his aides called back, saying that he couldn't help," Yaffa says.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response that its officials had been in constant touch with the Issachar family and contacted the Russian government regarding Naama's case.
"Since we became aware of Issachar's arrest in Moscow, the Israeli consulate has been in permanent communications with her and her family and given her consular-humanitarian assistance," the ministry said.
"The minister of foreign affairs instructed that inquiries be made to high-ranking officials in Russia. The minister has followed closely all the latest developments in the case and was unaware of a request by the family to meet with him."
Due to the imprisonment of 26-year-old Israeli Naama Issachar by Russian authorities, Israelis have begun boycotting Russian airlines, as well as trips to Moscow, Israel TV outlet Channel 12 reported.
The 26-year-old was arrested on April 9 while in transit in a Moscow airport, en route from India to Israel, carrying 9 grams of cannabis in her bags, which she said she had forgotten was there.
Russian authorities charged her with drug smuggling and sentenced her to a 7.5-year prison sentence.
According to findings published by Israel travel website Travelist, flight demands to Moscow decreased by 30% compared to last week - before Naama’s story broke in the media - while flight reservations to Moscow dropped by 11%.
Israeli-Russian Maria Elkin was supposed to travel to Moscow in February to participate in the city’s marathon, but canceled her flight reservation, citing Naama's arrest as the reason.
“I love the city and I will miss it dearly, but I won’t go back there any time soon. I also renounced my Russian citizenship," Elkin told Channel 12.
“I have a few friends that are appalled by Naama’s detention, but they are definitely not surprised,” she said.
“Every time I arrived in Russia, the feeling was that they are looking for you at the airport."
Yaron Avraham, who was supposed to travel with his family to Moscow, told Channel 12 that, "after Naama's case broke, we decided to cancel, there’s no point in traveling in fear."
“I prefer to look for another destination," he said.
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a pardon for Issachar.
Her family maintains that her severe sentence is intended to pressure Israel not to extradite a Russian national accused of hacking to the United States.
A sad state of affairs at the Foreign Ministry
A decade of government neglect has taken its toll on what should be the international face of Israel, and when Naama Isschar's mother sought help in freeing her daughter from a Russian prison, she says the ministry was ineffective
Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic deterioration in the status of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Much of the high-ranking diplomats' authorities was appropriated in favor of people close to the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and various governmental security agencies, among them Mossad Director Yossi Cohen and head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben-Shabat.
The ministry's budget has dwindled over the years, due among other things to the fact the at the head of it isn't a dedicated minister but the prime minster, a fact hurting its functioning.
"They're killing us, suppress them completely, they have no budget and no moral", says former Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad.
Evidence of this sad state of affairs can be seen in the way the ministry is dealing with the case of Naama Issachar, the 26-year-old Israeli sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in Russia and she was caught with 9.5 grams of cannabis at a Moscow airport.
Although Naama's mother Yaffa says the ministry provided her with a great deal of assistance over the last few weeks in her efforts to secure her daughter's release, the days following her initial arrest were fraught with communication problems.
"I know the ministry and the minister are trying to help Naama, but we were left without answers for many months," says Yaffa.
"Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely knew about our story for months. Do you think she called us? Where's the deputy minister? So what if Netanyahu is the minister in charge? I can't call him directly, so I called her. Why didn't you help me when I requested it four-five months ago? Where were you? I cried and I begged, I went to you in Jerusalem and called you," she says.
The difficulties continued when Israel Katz took over as foreign minister.
"My brother for a whole week called about four different phone numbers saying, 'I want to meet the minister'. One of the clerks said that he couldn't meet him. No one called him back. Eventually one of his aides called back, saying that he couldn't help," Yaffa says.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response that its officials had been in constant touch with the Issachar family and contacted the Russian government regarding Naama's case.
"Since we became aware of Issachar's arrest in Moscow, the Israeli consulate has been in permanent communications with her and her family and given her consular-humanitarian assistance," the ministry said.
"The minister of foreign affairs instructed that inquiries be made to high-ranking officials in Russia. The minister has followed closely all the latest developments in the case and was unaware of a request by the family to meet with him."
