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Israel News
A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a civilian in the first war crimes trial since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
During the trial, Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin pleaded guilty to shooting 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the head after being ordered to do so.
Shishimarin told the court that an officer insisted that Shelipov, who was speaking on his cellphone, could have revealed their location to Ukrainian forces.
Before delivering the verdict on Monday, the court said that Shishimarin had “committed a criminal offense” according to international humanitarian law.
“[Shishimarin] saw a civilian on the pavement, Oleksandr Shelipov,” the court said. “Shishimarin knowing that Shelipov is a civilian and is unarmed and does not pose any threat to him fired several shots at Shelipov from his AK-gun.
“The cause of Shelipov’s death was a shot in the head that resulted in crushing of the skull,” the court added.
Shishimarin admits that he killed Shelipov but says that he regrets the murder. His lawyer says he was under stress from the war and felt pressure from his commander.
“I was nervous the moment it happened. I didn’t want to kill,” the 21-yearold said. “But it happened and I do not deny it.”
He confronted Shelipov’s widow and apologized for her loss.
She asked him rhetorically, “Did you come to defend us? From whom? Did you defend me from my husband you killed?”
“We were ordered to come with the column,” Shishimarin answered. “What will follow I did not know.”
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is “concerned” about Shishimarin and will seek ways of assisting him
Meanwhile, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the world to enact “maximum” sanctions
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Fifty years after Arab terrorists hijacked the Belgian Sabena Airlines flight 571, Israel’s Defense Ministry has published the military’s official logbook from event.
The documents detail the chain of events, exactly as they occurred in real time on May 8-9, 1972, when members of the IDF’s Sayaret Matkal commando unit stormed the plane and took down the terrorists.
Shortly after Sabena flight 571 took off from Vienna to Tel Aviv, terrorists Ahmed Awad, Abed al-Aziz Atrash, Theresa Khalsa and Rima Tannous – members of the Black September terrorist group – rushed the cockpit, armed with explosives and pistols.
The logbook details, “A report was received of hijacking ‘Sabena’ and of it landing in Lod, Moshe was ordered to land in Lod.”
The plane landed at 5:15 p.m.
The terrorists demanded the release of 315 terrorists in exchange for the plane’s 97 passengers and crew members – and “Operation Isotope” ensued.
The pilot of the flight, Captain Reginald Levy, told the control tower officials, “Take them very seriously. If they do not receive a power unit immediately, they will take off immediately.”
The terrorists in question were imprisoned in Ramle, which is near Lod, and the hijackers insisted that the swap should not take long.
Israeli officials, however, convinced the hijackers that there was an issue with the plane and that mechanics would need to take a look at the aircraft before it could take off. The hijackers then agreed to both the mechanics and the refueling, but at 10:30p.m., Levy warned, “The hijackers informed me of an explosive device that will explode in one hour. Everything must be sorted out within 60 minutes.”
He added, “We do not want to fly, but I am pressured to take off.”
Eventually, the hijackers agreed to have the plane fixed in the morning, when a Red Cross representative would be available to facilitate a prisoner swap.
Levy informed the hijackers that Israel had agreed to the swap and that “they promised me they will send food and technicians to repair the plane.” One hijacker, “Captain Rafat,” responded, “Okay, thanks.”
At 4:20p.m., “mechanics” dressed in white overalls boarded the plane. Bursting through five openings, the commandos shot and killed the two male hijackers and captured the two female hijackers.
Some of the details of the operation are still censored due to security concerns.
Although this was not the first hijacking by terrorists, it was the first time in which Israeli forces were able to conduct a rescue operation.
Jordan: No Jewish Prayers on Temple Mount
Jordan on Sunday slammed an Israeli court’s ruling that Jewish teenagers who recited the “Shema Yisrael” prayer on the Temple Mount were within their rights to do so.
According to a statement by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, “The decision allows extremists to hold ceremonies at the Al-Aqsa compound.”
It continued, “The ruling is legally null and void according to international law, which does not recognize the authority of the Israeli judicial system on occupied Palestinian territories from 1967, including East Jerusalem.”
The ruling is “a gross violation of in-
30 ternational decisions relating to Jerusalem, including resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council, which The Jewish Home | MAY 26, 2022 all clarify that the status quo must be maintained in the holy city,” it added. Traditionally, Jews have not been allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responded to the court ruling by calling on the U.S. to “intervene urgently to stop the Israeli attacks on our people and their sanctities.” But Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office noted, “There is no change, nor is any change planned, on the status quo of the Temple Mount. The Magistrate Court’s decision is focused exclusively on the issue of the conduct of the minors brought before it and does not constitute a broader determination regarding freedom of worship on the Temple Mount. With regard to the specific criminal case in question, the government was informed that the state will file an appeal to the District Court.” The Sunday ruling, handed down by Judge Zion Saharay, said that bowing down and reciting a prayer were not sufficient cause to curtail freedom of religion, especially in light of Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai’s statements last month that police would ensure freedom of religion for “all residents of the country and the territories,” including on the Temple Mount.
Channel 12 News reported police officials as denying the statement and accusing the judge of twisting Shabtai’s words. That report quoted an unnamed police official as saying, “When the commissioner speaks about freedom of worship, he does not refer to the Temple Mount, where the status quo determined by government policy and High Court rulings over the years is maintained. This is a case of a distorted interpretation of his remarks.”
Meanwhile, the State Attorney’s office has promised to appeal the ruling.
Meretz MK Won’t Drop Out
Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi on Sunday announced that she would recant her decision to bolt the coalition and would vote with the government.
Her decision to drop out last week deprived the coalition of its equal footing with the opposition, bringing it down to just 59 MKs out of the Knesset’s 120.
Zoabi’s reversal followed a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and several cabinet ministers and mayors.
In a joint video announcement with Lapid and Nazareth’s Mayor Ali Sallam, Zoabi said, “Because my mission is to serve the local authorities and to bring about accomplishments to address the needs of the Arab community, I will support the coalition.”
She added, “The alternative to this government will be [MK Itamar] BenGvir as police minister, and I want to prevent that alternative.”
Lapid praised her decision, saying, “We have put this disagreement behind us and are returning to government work.”
Still, Bennett government is working on shaky ground, as they are holding onto a very slim majority after Idit Silman of the Yamina party left the coalition last month.
Covering Veterans’ Tuition Costs
New legislation passed this week in the Knesset will help IDF veterans as they pursue their higher degrees.
Now, tuition scholarships for veterans will be covered up to 75% for those who served in the armed forces.
Initially, the coalition sought to cover two-thirds of combat veterans’ tuition, and Likud refused to offer its support — first insisting that it didn’t want to give the coalition a parliamentary victory and then clarifying that it would only do so if the bill was amended to cover 100 percent of former soldiers’ college costs.
In the past, the government has paid for two-thirds of tuition for veterans.
The decision not to fully fund the scholarships intentionally leaves space for student self-funding, in order to create a sense of obligation for recipients to finish school.
Despite Likud’s reluctance, coalition leaders decided to move forward with the vote on Monday evening, daring the opposition parties to vote against such a popular bill. As the vote neared, though, the 60-MK coalition appeared not to have enough votes to get it through, given reported refusal from the coalition’s Islamist Ra’am faction and MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz) and rebel MK Idit Silman (Yamina) to back the measure.
Moments before the vote was to be held, however, Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that he was prepared to meet Likud halfway so that the bill would cover 75% of combat veterans’ tuition costs.
Opposition chairman Benjamin Netanyahu’s party then convened an emergency meeting during which it agreed to accept the proposal. At the conclusion of the sit-down, Netanyahu invited in a group of veterans lobbying for the bill, and they all filmed a video in which the ex-soldiers thanked the Likud for its support.
Shortly before the vote was held, Gantz took to the plenum podium to explain his decision to compromise.
“I decided to put an end to it. My goal is not to harm the Likud,” he said. “My offer is good and serves the entire Israeli society… I am not prepared for politics to harm the IDF.”
The broadly popular tuition scholarship program, called “MeMadim LeLimudim,” or “From Uniforms to Studies,” provided a two-thirds tuition scholarship for former combat troops, and other designated soldiers, toward earning an academic degree. An initiative of former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, the scholarships started in 2016 and are intended to make educational opportunities more accessible to soldiers without means.
Among the non-combat soldiers covered by the new law are troops from economically disadvantaged homes, Druze and Arab soldiers, “lone soldiers” who serve without immediate family in Israel, and new immigrants.
Funding was initially provided by private donor organizations, but in order to cut down on conditions imposed upon the grants, the government, led by Gantz, wanted to fund the scholarships through the Defense Ministry. To be part of the defense budget, the scholarships needed to be approved by law.
