Stop Press - latest from Carolyne after Shabbat Killing
Since first writing a cowardly and lethal attack was carried out on a Synagogue in Jerusalem, when an Arab Israeli opened fire on worshippers .
We know that between 7-8 people have lost their lives and around 10 are injured, some critical .
The attacker was eliminated after opening fire in police officers .
The emergency services are attending the dead and injured .
Meanwhile, across Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah, the Arabs are holding street parties and handing out candy to celebrate the deaths .
All this , not only on a peaceful Shabbat but also on World Holocaust Memorial Day !
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Carolyne's commentary on the atmosphere in Israel
The fears that Israel was heading towards a religious theocracy can mostly be put to bed for the moment, as the right wing coalition that Bibi cobbled together is already starting to unravel. Netanyahu conformed to the view of the High Court and fired Shas leader Aryeh Deri. The High Court ruled that he was in breach of his plea-bargaining deal and cannot serve as a minister.
We must wait and see now if the government will take steps to circumvent the ruling of the High Court by passing new legislation. Bibi has said any judicial reforms will be “toned down” and modified.
The government are seeking to return the powers of the court to the pre Aharon Barak days, when the court served as a check on government but without judging the substance of the administration. Presently, the court can veto government policies and its over-reach is not in line with other Western democracies.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands have been demonstrating against interference in the judiciary. The previous government also wanted to make some changes, but held back in case they assisted Bibi, who remains indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust.
The other highly worrying minister Bezalel Smotrich discovered he may be in the coalition, but the boss Bibi is making decisions without consulting him. The illegally constructed outpost Or Haim in the West Bank, was dismantled under orders of Defence Minister Yoav Galant.
There are call for Jews and Arabs to be treated equally and Ben Gvir is demanding that illegal Arab settlements should also be subjected to the law and dismantled. The Biden administration however, only puts pressure on Israel to dismantle illegal Jewish outposts whilst the Negev remains full of illegal Bedouin constructions. It would seem that Bibi is not looking to clash with the USA at this time, but there will be discussions on this next week.
Nine Palestinians died in Jenin in clashes with the IDF. The operation was in response to intelligence that a terrorist attack on the centre of Israel was imminent emanating from this hotbed of militancy. Five of the dead were confirmed members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group. One civilian was killed in the attack but it is unclear if she was hit by the IDF or the IPJ.
Eleven other suspects were arrested and two other died in clashed in East Jerusalem and a-Ram.
In response six rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. The Iron Dome intercepted four, one exploded in an open area and one fell inside the Gaza strip. Last year over 500 attacks were thwarted and the operation to “smoke out” those planning the attacks continues. The Palestinian Authority has ceased all security co-operation with Israel and are ignoring the fact that one of the terrorists held a day job as a policeman for the PA.
Israel will respond to the rocket fire, but we do not expect to see a major retaliation due to the planned visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday.
The President of Israel Isaac Herzog attended World Holocaust Memorial Day in the Great Synagogue of Brussels. The Prime Minister went to Amman to meet King Abdulla of Jordan. Naturally the UN will be holding an emergency meeting to discuss Israel killing terrorists before they attempt to attack Israel!
Next week, Israel will celebrate the first Tu B’Shvat since the Shmitta, ( the year that farmers rest their fields and do not plant anything).
Shabbat Shalom
