Jerusalem Will Reinforce Its
Red Line on Munitions,
Hezbollah Threats Continue
(TIP)–Israeli officials say Jerusalem will enforce its long-established “red line” against any Syrian efforts to transfer advanced weapons, including portions of Damascus’s chemical weapons arsenal, to Bashar al-Assad regime’s Hezbollah allies. Hezbollah leaders have recently repeatedly and explicitly threatened to attack the Jewish state, doubling down on rhetoric and threats that had already heightened over the summer. Hezbollah has also moved to redeploy troops into locations near to Israel’s border. Meanwhile, several mortar shells fired from Syria landed in Israel’s Golan Heights near the Israeli-Syrian border, increasing concerns that spillover from the war will threaten stability along Israel’s borders.
Fatah-Linked Group
Green-Lights Attacks on Israel
(JNS.org)—The Al-Aqsa Martys Brigade, a terror group loosely affiliated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party, has given the “green light” for terror attacks on Israel. According to a statement reported by Lebanese terror group Hezbollah’s Al-Manar news outlet, the Palestinian terror group referred to the recent visit by Jewish worshipers to the Temple Mount over Rosh Hashanah, which sparked Muslim rioting, as justification for the attacks. “We are all witnessing the invasion by herds of settlers to the compound (Temple Mount) and [they] harm the [Muslim] worshippers without any intervention from the international community,” the statement said. The terror group operates primarily in the Gaza Strip, but plans terror attacks inside of Israel and in the West Bank. It was the first terror group responsible for a female suicide bombing inside of Israel, in 2002.
Haredi Extremists Publish Guide
to Military Prison
A 44-page booklet has been published in Israel asking haredi boys to allow themselves to be jailed rather than go into the army, because jail isn’t such a terrible place. Citing the history of the haredi movement vis-a-vis military service for Israel and legal attempts to get haredim into the IDF, it lets its readers know that haredim are not needed in the armed forces because high-technology replaced the need for so many solidiers, and haredim are a headache for their commanding officers and units. They also claim that going to jail is a chance to make a Kiddush Hashem, and said those who do not show up for their physicals have yet to be imprisoned. “We discovered that while jail is, of course, not normally a pleasant place to be, and while all people have a natural fear of being arrested, the military prison isn’t a ‘bear.’ Despite the rumors, it would not be solitary confinement—it is a place where one can maintain a reasonable lifestyle, and even learn Torah (you can bring books). The booklet ends with this: “It is highly recommended to bring writing supplies, a number of pens, booklets, paper,” and then it writes about great rabbis who authored important works while in prison. “These dark places can become a holy place where we keep the most important mitzvah… Every bit of suffering: the uncomfortable bed, the tiring assemblies, the lack of suitable companions, the less-than-fresh food – all of these are like a sacrifice on the alter!”
Pro-Syria Hackers Publish 165,000 Israelis’ Information
(JNS.org) A pro-Syrian hacking group breached Israeli and American websites and released the personal information of more than 165,000 Israelis. The largest breached website in the organized cyber attack was a site that offered Web hosting services. The breached site provided all information on its users, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses and passwords. More than 40,000 of the compromised records were reviewed and verified as real by the Internet security firm Maglan. Some of those whose information was released, however, told Israel Hayom that the leaked passwords were not up to date and had been changed a long time ago. The attacks bear the marks of pro-Syrian hackers from Spain, Canada and Brazil. Aside from placing pro-Syrian slogans on the websites, the hackers repeatedly tried to access and damage important databases. On some of the sites, the hackers left their signature inside the website’s code and not on the home page, which let them slip by unnoticed after stealing the information.
Beitar Ilit Bans
All-Female Zumba Classes
Beitar Ilit—The Israeli website, Mako, reports that the rabbanim of Beitar Ilit have banned all women’s Zumba classes because they allow women to move their bodies in ways that men find lewd and offensive. Even if not a single man is within 3,000 feet of a Zumba class will women be able to participate in an exercise program that is responsible for literally working off tons of fat and helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle, because the rabbis have determined the Brazilian dance is indecent. (How do they know what the dance looks like?!) The statement, in part read, “..The activity is entirely at odds with both the ways of the Torah and the holiness of Israel, as are the songs associated to it…the organization and participation in such classes is forbidden.” The dance infuriated extremist elements in the Haredi-dominated town. An angry resident accused the Zumba opponents of “wanting to turn our city into Afghanistan, and we won’t go along with it. The rabbis and judges can’t determine whether or not we participate in Zumba classes. I’m sick of them strangling us with these illogical halakhic rulings.” The city has a history of vigilante punishment of members of the community who ignore local standards.
Peres to Honor Spielberg,
Wiesel with Medal
Jerusalem—The President of the State of Israel and the advisory committee for the Presidential Medal of Distinction recently announced the names of the latest recipients of the award conferred upon private individuals and organizations that have made unique and outstanding contributions to Tikkun Olam (Bettering the World), Israeli society and the State of Israel’s image around the world, and which constitute examples of initiative, innovation, creativity and vision. Steven Spielberg is being awarded the medal for his contribution to cinema over the past 50 years and specifically his unique contribution to the memory of the Holocaust, to the State of Israel, to the Jewish people and Tikkun Olam; Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Elie Wiesel, one of the world’s top Jewish writers and intellectuals, a Holocaust survivor who for decades has worked to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust who published over 40 books and has been awarded a host of literature prizes; Brig. Gen (res.) Avigdor Kahalani who received the Medal of Valor in the Yom Kippur War for his leadership and lifelong contribution to Israel’s security; Rabbi Elimelech Firer who created the medical network that is a focal point for those who need medical assistance and consultation; Dr. Zvi (Harry) Tabor, a young scientist who made Aliyah and created the National Physical Laboratory of Israel and played a prominent role in Israel’s solar energy program, and Avi Naor, the power behind Or Yarok, the association for safer driving in Israel, founded after his son was killed in a car accident.
