Israel News

AN EDUCATI O N

IVDU FOR LIFE SCHOOLS

Rabbi Druin, Head of School druino@ou.org

IVDU Elementary Girls School Flatbush

IVDU Long Island Elementary School Girls and Boys Long Island

Marilyn and Sheldon David IVDU Upper Girls School Flatbush

Marilyn and Sheldon David IVDU Upper Boys School Boro Park

EVERYDAY IS “OPEN HOUSE” AT IVDU

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ELISHEVA BETJACKOV AT 718-758-2999, EXT 15035

YACHAD.ORG/SERVICES/IVDU LEARN ABOUT OUR INDIVIDUALIZED & COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM, INCLUDING:

■ FULL ACADEMIC

PROGRAM

■ LIFE AND SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING

■ VOCATIONAL TRAINING

■ SELF-CONTAINED

PROGRAM WITH

SMALL CLASSES

■ MUSIC AND ART

THERAPIES

■ SPEECH, OT, PT, COUNSELING

■ REGENTS AND

NON-REGENTS

TRACKS

■ STEM PROGRAM

IVDU Schools are a program of Yachad, the international organization dedicated to the inclusion of individuals with disabilities into Jewish communal life. minors.

A Twitter spokesperson at the time said the platform’s policies already outline a range of prohibited behavior including content that involves child exploitation or promoting suicide or self-harm.

“Let us be clear – we have a zero-tolerance policy … it is against the Twitter Rules to promote, glorify or encourage suicide and self-harm, and we do not allow the use of Twitter for any unlawful behavior or to further illegal activities, including the buying and selling of drugs,” the spokesperson said last week.

Russia’s decision to slow down Twitter’s upload speeds came after authorities in the nation sued Twitter and other social media platforms regarding decisions to keep up certain posts about February’s protests over the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Twitter has also played a role in protestors communicating as they demonstrated against Navalny’s detention.

Hitler’s Black Book

A new book details how Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, ym”sh, compiled a list of 3,000 prominent Britons slated to be included in the first batch to be rounded up in the event of a German invasion of England.

Written by historian Sybil Oldfield, “The Black Book” is named after the pamphlet filled with names that was to be handed out to tens of thousands of SS troops. Had Nazi Germany successfully conquered Britain as Hitler intended, special units would have swept the countryside to round up the blacklisted Britons.

Those on the list were slated for house arrest, with “protective detention” reserved for people considered especially dangerous to the Nazi regime. These included doctors, lawyers, prominent journalists and academics known for their hostility to Germany and pro-Jewish sentiments.

Many of the people unfortunate enough to be included in the Black Book would likely have suffered a worse fate than incarceration. SS Col. Franz Six, a German professor turned war-criminal, was tapped to “set up Einsatzgruppen [paramilitary SS death squads]…as the situation dictates and the necessity arises.”

The Black Book was the idea of SS Col. Walter Schellenberg, a senior Gestapo intelligence officer. Starting in 1937, the Gestapo began compiling an alphabetized list of suspects along with their addresses and phone numbers. The pamphlet also included hundreds of organizations and schools that were to be shut down post-invasion, with the directors imprisoned or killed.

This included the Boy Scouts, the Anglican church, the Freemasons, and the Amalgamated Societies of Bakers and Confectioners. All were either headed by one with Jewish ancestry or were expected to provide significant opposition to the occupying Wehrmacht army.

Found shortly after World War II in Berlin by English spies, the Black Book astounded Britons for its thoroughness.

“How diligent the Nazi note-takers must have been searching through newspapers, listening to gossip, scrutinizing German passport visas, and keeping track of the poor exiles who had fled from persecution in their homeland,” wrote The Guardian in 1945.

Yossi Cohen in Bibi Govt?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently revealed that he intends to appoint Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to a position in his next government.

Cohen is slated to end his tenure as Mossad director in June and is considered a close Netanyahu confidant. During an interview last Saturday with Channel 13, Netanyahu vowed to appoint Cohen to a political role should the current prime minister form Israel’s next government following the upcoming Knesset elections on March 23.

“In the next government that I form, I will make sure to include Cohen in a position. I know how to use his skills,” asserted Netanyahu.

By law, the heads of the Mossad, IDF, and Shin Bet internal security service must wait three years from their final day on the job before running for the Knesset or being appointed as a minister. Viewed as one of Netanyahu’s closest advisors, Cohen has been rumored to be a candidate for diplomatic positions that do not require a “cooling-off” period.

In November, numerous reports said that Netanyahu was pressuring Cohen to replace Gilad Erdan and become Israel’s next U.S. ambassador. With the Biden administration expected to be significantly less friendly towards Israel’s interests, Netanyahu reportedly wanted Cohen to represent Israel to its most important ally.

Cohen has headed the Mossad since 2016 and previously served as head of the National Security Council. Nicknamed “The Model” for his expensive suits and fastidious grooming habits, the religiously-observant spymaster made a name for himself as one of the Mossad’s most legendary case officers.

Cohen is also considered one of the architects of the Israeli effort against Iran’s nuclear project in recent years and played a key role in the recent wave of normalization agreements between Israel and several Gulf states.

Famous Biker Killed in Car Crash

Israeli cyclist Roei Sadan was pronounced dead on Friday, less than 24 hours after being hit by a bus near

Bringing Process to Wealth Management

We understand that a client’s portfolio is more than their investment accounts, but really their entire fi nancial picture. Through a detailed fi nancial process and understanding who our clients are as people, we’re able to recommend risk-aligning portfolios. With Oppenheimer’s open architecture platform, we offer integrated fi nancial strategies that serve our client’s best interests. From there, we can actively update each portfolio to aim towards achieving short term and long term goals.

Michael J. Weinstein

Director – Investments Phone: (516) 733-1337 michael.weinstein@opco.com Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 2 Jericho Plaza, Suite 113 Jericho, NY 11753 the entrance to his hometown of Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra.

The 39-year-old Sadan earned international fame as an adventurer who cycled around the world.

The accident occurred on Thursday around 2:30 PM, when a tour bus slammed into Sadan while he was biking near Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra. Sadan was thrown into a ditch and had lost consciousness by the time an ambulance arrived.

Sadan was evacuated to a hospital in Nahariah, where doctors worked frantically to save his life before he stopped breathing a day later. He was laid to rest on Sunday morning.

Born in the West Bank town of Oranit, Sadan became a cycling enthusiast while trekking India after his army service. From 2007 to 2011, Sadan embarked on one of the most remarkable biking trips ever recorded, riding across mountains and deserts spanning six continents.

During his world-famous bike trip, Sadan rode through 42 countries, starting in frozen Alaska and continuing all the way to the southernmost tip of Argentina. During his final four months in Australia, Sadan rode on a tandem bike with Orly Tal, a blind Israeli cyclist renowned for her adventurism.

During his travels, Sadan became an informal Israeli ambassador, naming his bike “Emunah” and constantly defending his home country to foreigners. He would frequently appear at synagogues and Jewish communities around the world, urging his admirers to follow their dreams and “always break barriers.”

Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper eulogized Sadan as “a man of sports and adventure with every fiber of his being. Roei was an inspiring Israeli. He served us well around the world, and mainly showed us that nothing is impossible. May he rest in peace.”

Chaos at Sa’ar Rally

Participants at an event for Gideon Sa’ar’s Israeli “New Hope” political party were attacked by dozens of epithet-shouting supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The fracas occurred last Saturday evening at an event for “New Hope” at Azariah in central Israel. Sa’ar, a former Likud lawmaker who split off to found his own party earlier this year, had been preparing to speak when he was set upon by over 35 Netanyahu supporters.

Shouting “traitor” and other profanities, the Netanyahu supporters hurled rocks and eggs and broke the sound system. The attackers scattered after the police were summoned. One participant was evacuated to the hospital after being knocked unconscious.

New Hope party leaders blasted Netanyahu, accusing him of being aware and even ordering the attack on its campaign event. Sharing a video of the Likud supporters attacking New Hope officials, Sa’ar wrote on Facebook that he would not rest until he ousted Netanyahu from power.

“Netanyahu has completely lost it. Bibi, I’m not afraid of you! In another ten days I’ll replace you,” Sa’ar wrote. “Netanyahu crossed a red line.”

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid also “strongly condemned” the brawl, condemning right-wing politicians for failing to “call out” the political violence. “The violence of Netanyahu’s people is breaking records and his silence is deafening,” Lapid said.

A veteran Likudnik, Sa’ar quit his longtime party earlier this year after his relationship with Netanyahu turned acrimonious. He has since recruited other disgruntled Likud members, including MKs Zvi Hauser, Ze’ev Elkin and Yoaz Hendel, in an attempt to end Netanyahu’s reign as prime minister.

Czech Republic Opens Jerusalem Embassy

The Czech Republic opened a de-facto embassy in Jerusalem in recognition that the city is, in fact, Israel’s capital.

The diplomatic office is a branch of the Czech Republic’s official embassy in Tel Aviv, which will remain in the coastal city. However, the majority of employees from the Czech Foreign Ministry will now work out of the Jerusalem site and describe it as the de-facto embassy.

The site was inaugurated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday attended by Czech Prime Minister

SPRING SPRING SPRING

Brooklyn 5005 16th Avenue Cedarhurst 426 Central Avenue

www.shopmezzo.com

718.871.9402

BELLYSSIMA MATERNITY

2021

t-shirts • skirts • tops • blouses • dresses

WE HAVE MOVED

Andrej Babis and Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. In his remarks, Babis highlighted the significance of the move, stressing that his country viewed Jerusalem as Israel’s legitimate capital.

“We keep our promise,” said Babis while standing opposite the new embassy in Jerusalem’s Talbieh neighborhood. “The Czech Republic will have a full-fledged diplomatic mission here in Jerusalem.”

“It will deal with a lot – ranging from politics, economic cooperation, consular agenda, and other topics. It will have a permanent staff and work under the lead of our embassy in Tel Aviv.”

Ashkenazi responded by thanking Babis and the Czech Republic for recognizing the importance Jerusalem plays for Judaism and the State of Israel.

“The changes in the Middle East should be based on a recognition of the reality and historical truth that the city of Jerusalem has been the spiritual center of the Jewish people and its capital for over 3000 years, and the capital of Israel,” said Ashkenazi.

Ashkenaz also thanked the Czech government for recently adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. The Czech Parliament’s lower house had approved a resolution in 2019 adopting the international IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism, allowing law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes more effectively.

The definition defines anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and includes attacks against Jewish religious and community institutions.

The Czech Republic is the latest country to follow the U.S.’s relocation of its diplomatic offices to Jerusalem. Since former President Donald Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, and now the Czech Republic have followed suit.

A handful of others have promised to do so as well, including Honduras, Brazil, and Serbia, but have not yet made the move.

Tensions with Jordan

Kingdom torpedoed his scheduled visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Netanyahu had been slated to make his first-ever visit to the United Arab Emirates last Thursday when Jordan banned him from crossing its airspace. The ban followed a dust-up between Israeli border guards and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah a day earlier that saw the monarch turned away after attempting to enter Israeli with too many bodyguards.

In retaliation, Netanyahu shuttered Israeli airspace to Jordan-bound flights, ordering the Transportation Ministry to close the skies immediately. Netanyahu issued the order without first consulting with the Foreign and Defense Ministries, which enjoy a close working relationship with Jordan.

Netanyahu’s comprehensive flight ban is unprecedented and violates the 1994 Peace Agreement between the two countries. The directive was strongly opposed by the Transportation Office, who warned that it would cause international airlines significant financial damage and harm Israeli-Jordan ties irreparably.

According to reports, Transportation Ministry officials slow-walked Netanyahu’s order, hoping that the government would block it before it could be enacted. Two hours after it was enacted, Netanyahu directed that the skies be reopened to Jordanian flights following pressure from the IDF.

No Jordan-bound flights had been turned back during the two hours the ban was in effect, avoiding a significant diplomatic crisis experts say may have scrapped the Israeli-Jordanian peace agreement.

On Wednesday, Israel had prevented Crown Prince Hussein from visiting the Temple Mount after he arrived at the border crossing with more than the number of agreed-upon bodyguards. While Israel allowed up to 10 security officials to accompany the royal, he insisted on arriving with a protective delegation consisting of over 30 people.

Kosovo Opens Jerusalem Embassy

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it has formally opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem.

The move was made after the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel on February 1 and a Kosovo-Serbia summit held at the White House in September.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora announces that the Kosovo Embassy in the State of Israel, with headquarters in Jerusalem, officially has been opened,” said the statement.

Kosovo is the first European country and Muslim-majority one to establish its embassy in Jerusalem, following the U.S. and Guatemala.

Kosovo’s decision was taken when outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti met with Serb President Aleksandar Vucic at the White House in September with then-U.S. president Donald Trump.

“Setting of the plaques and the state flag at the Kosovo Embassy in Israel reflects the Government of Kosovo’s commitment to comply with the pledge for establishing the diplomatic mission to Jerusalem,” it said.

Albin Kurti, prime minister-designate, found himself in a difficult diplomatic position ahead of taking up his post after pressure from Turkey, a close ally of the new Western Balkan country, to change its mind about the Jerusalem location.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Kosovo that the move could damage future relations with his country.

Dead Sea Scroll Discovery

This week, the Israel Antiquities Authority unveiled the first Bible scroll fragments found in decades and numerous other dazzling artifacts from the “Cave of Horror” above the Dead Sea. Among the discoveries was a huge, complete woven basket, the oldest in the world. It’s been 60 years since other major scroll finds in the area, and archaeologists are excited that the discoveries this week could hold promise of what can be discovered in the other 20 caves.

Since 2017, the IAA has spearheaded an ambitious survey of some 500 caves in the Judean Desert in an unprecedentedly wide-ranging and physically daring operation involving rappelling down rockfaces and setting up work camps on sheer cliffs.

The operation’s stated goal is to be one step ahead of the antiquities looters who comb these caves, where the original caches of Dead Sea Scrolls – thousands of pieces of varied ancient scripture and writings dating from circa 400 BCE to 300 CE – were found by Bedouin shepherds starting in 1946.

In the operation to date, Amir Ganor, the head of the IAA’s anti-theft unit, said that most of the 600-plus Judean Desert caves have been mapped using drone technology and hi-tech mapping. That work, he said, has revealed 20 caves “with the potential for good artifacts” that will hopefully be carefully excavated in phase two of the project. Another 25 percent of the desert still needs to be surveyed in the first phase.

The operation is being undertaken by the IAA in cooperation with the Staff Officer of the Archaeology Department of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria (COGAT), and has been funded in part by the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage. Each body allocated about a third of the entire project budget from its institutions.

The inter-office cooperation is key to the success of the operation: About half of the Judean Desert, including the original source of most of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, is located in the West Bank beyond the Green Line, where the IAA does not have jurisdiction.

Pfizer CEO: Bibi’s “Obsession” for Vaccines

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla described the relentless pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subjected him to persuade him to pick Israel as a testing ground for the pharma giant’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Signed in late December, the deal between Israel and Pfizer ensured a virtually limitless supply of vaccines in exchange for detailed information on the drug’s effectiveness. The agreement is said to be a key reason why Israel currently leads the world in vaccination rates, with over 50% of the total population already having received both doses.

In an interview with Channel 12 last Thursday, Bourla described what made Pfizer choose Israel out of the two dozen countries vying to be the pharmaceutical behemoth’s test case. While acknowledging Israel’s optimal conditions, including a small population with hermetically-sealed borders, Bourla said that it was Netanyahu’s incessant calling that sealed the deal.

“I was talking with several heads of state. I spoke with your prime minister, he convinced me that Israel is the place with the right conditions,” Bourla recounted. “I was impressed, frankly, with the obsession of your prime minister. He called me 30 times.”

The Pfizer executive also cited Israel’s “extraordinary healthcare system” and “very high degree of economic data” that convinced the company to pick it as a test case. However, Bourla hit back at claims by Netanyahu that he had singlehandedly brought Israel its flood of vaccines, clarifying that Pfizer would have chosen it even with a different premier at the helm.

Asked about Netanyahu’s frequent claim ahead of the March 23 elections that only he can bring vaccines to Israel, Bourla stressed that his company signs supply contracts with states, not individual leaders.

“We are not contracting with individual companies or organizations.… The vaccines will be sold to every country, irrespective of who is the leader,” he clarified.

Israel’s collaboration with Pfizer has resulted in the country claiming the highest vaccination rate in the world, with 95% of adults over the age of 60 already having gotten both jabs. The rapid inoculation has helped Israel to dramatically relax its COVID-19 restrictions, allowing bars, restaurants and cafes to open last week for the first time in half a year.

The Iron Sting

The IDF unveiled a cutting-edge laser-guided mortar that will enable troops to fight in dense urban environments while avoiding collateral damage to noncombatants.

Known as “Iron Sting,” the 20mm mortar has recently undergone final trials in a testing site in southern Israel. The completion of testing enables the start of serial production ahead of the system’s supply to the IDF.

The series of tests was carried out using two networked Cardom mortar systems developed by Elbit Systems: a “Cardom” system, mounted on an M113 APC, and a “Cardom Spear” system, mounted on a Hummer 4X4 SUV.

Developed by Elbit in collaboration with the Directorate of Defense R&D in the Israel Ministry of Defense and the IDF’s Ground Forces, Iron Sting’s operational use will revolutionize ground warfare and equip battalions with more accurate and effective firepower.

Its upgraded accuracy, which is unmatched by any corresponding weapons system currently available, allows smaller infantry units to conduct operations in dense, built-up environments. Due to the high concentration of civilians, such operations were traditionally restricted to special forces, limiting the IDF’s flexibility during wartime.

With the mortars costing significantly less than the accurate yet expensive missiles the IDF uses to flush out terrorists barricaded in buildings, a regular infantry platoon can now be deployed on a mission once reserved for elite units. This allows the IDF to better counter enemies in open terrains and remain hidden in crowded urban environments.

“Ten years of research and development have led us to this moment when we can provide the IDF’s ground forces with advanced capabilities made for the modern battlefield,” said Head of Research and Development in the DDR&D Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem.

“This laser and GPS- guided mortar munition provides troops with a precise firing capability that has only been implemented in missiles and air munition thus far. This is a very complex program and a groundbreaking system on the international level.”

“The Ground Forces command is leading the process of integrating the ‘Iron Sting’ into the IDF. This precise, guided mortar munition is groundbreaking for IDF battalions, equipping them with accurate and organic firepower,” added Head of the Weapons Department in the IDF’s Ground Forces, Col. Arik Avivi.

“This capability has so far been reserved to large and complex missiles. Thanks to this impressive technological development, it will now be implemented in mortar munitions on a wide scale.”

Is Israel Behind Iranian Ship Explosion?

Tehran is accusing Israel of orchestrating an explosion on an Iranian cargo ship last week as tensions between the two adversaries heat up.

The Shahr e Kord container ship had gone up in flames last Wednesday after being hit by an explosive device. In a statement, Iran said that an investigation into the blast concluded that Israel was responsible, adding that the ship was intentionally targeted by small-arms fire that may have come from fighter planes.

“Considering the geographical location and the way the ship was tar-