Longtime left-wing activist uses violent language urging “extermination” of Religious Zionist Party MK in Facebook post; claims lawmaker is an “enemy of the state.”

By Adina Katz, World Israel News

One of the founders of the dovish Peace Now group, which advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict, recently called for a right-wing MK to be “exterminated,” calling the lawmaker an “enemy of the state.”

Professor Amiram Goldblum, a longtime left-wing activist and lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, attacked MK Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionist Party in a scathing post on his Facebook page.

“Zvi Sukkot is one of the enemies of the state that needs to be exterminated. He is not our brother; he is a Kahanist scoundrel and a supporter of the party of genocide for the Palestinians,” Goldblum wrote.

“He is proof that there is no difference between the criminals and terrorists from Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist Party…they’re both wild breeding pits for hilltop youth,” the professor continued, charging that the factions promote “acts of violence and abomination.”

“I am with the Palestinians against this villain and hope there is a way to exterminate him and his ilk.”

In a media statement, Sukkot responded to the calls for his extermination, emphasizing that while citizens have the right to speak out against lawmakers, Goldblum’s comments crossed the line into encouraging violence.

“It’s permitted to criticize, but it’s forbidden to engage in incitement,” Sukkot said.

“The recent incitement on social media crosses this line. It begins with the protest leaders’ calls for citizens to participate in civil unrest, and continues until the call to harm MKs. Of course, Goldbum’s post has nothing to do with reality.

“I call on [lawmakers] from the entire political spectrum – stop the incitement now. We can argue, we can debate, but you can’t incite [violence.]”

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The German diplomat spoke during a tour organized by Peace Now, Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh.

By JNS

German diplomat Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, who represents the European Union in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, said on Wednesday during a visit to Samaria, “There is no such thing as Area B and C, it’s all Palestine.”

Areas A, B, and C are three administrative zones in Judea and Samaria established under the Oslo Accords. Area A is under Palestinian Authority civil and security control. Area B is governed by P.A. civil control but joint Israeli-Palestinian security. Area C, roughly 60% of the area, is fully under Israeli civil and military control.

Von Burgsdorff also said that “what we’re seeing in Homesh is not just a violation of international law … it’s a violation of Israeli domestic law.”

He was referencing the Knesset’s vote in March to repeal articles of a 2005 law banning Israelis from residing in the four communities in northern Samaria—Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kadim—that were evacuated during the disengagement.

The EU on Wednesday issued a statement saying it is “gravely concerned by and condemns the decision of the Israeli authorities to allow Israeli citizens to establish permanent presence in the outpost in Homesh.”

Von Burgsdorff made his comments during a tour for senior EU diplomats organized by three left-wing Israeli NGOs opposed to Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria—Peace Now, Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh.

The tour included a visit to the archaeological site of Sebastia (biblical Shomron), the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel in the eighth and ninth centuries BCE.

The group also met with Palestinians from the village of Burqa overlooking Homesh.

Peace Now said in a statement, “The most extreme and dangerous government in the country’s history is dragging us to disaster. Instead of evacuating the outpost in Homesh and taking care of security, the government is investing our funds in the development of the area, giving rewards to criminality, violence and robbery, and harming security.”

The Nachala Settlement Movement condemned the group’s visit: “The cooperation between ‘Peace Now’ and the European representatives with the aim of undermining the Jewish hold on northern Samaria illustrates the ridiculous and ludicrous situation of the movement’s representatives and the entire initiative.

“The name Homesh is after the five daughters of Zelophehad, who in their love for the Land of Israel [the Book of Numbers] refused to give up a physical part of it.

“The city of Shomron was founded 1,500 years before the Roman Emperor Sebastian [Augustus—the Greek sebastos, or “venerable,” is a translation of the Latin augustus] was born. Ignorance and stupidity lead the group of ‘Peace Now’ and the European Union to the mouth of the abyss,” the Nachala Settlement Movement said.

A European Union document that was leaked towards the end of 2022, outlining EU strategy to help extend Palestinian control over Area C of Judea and Samaria, reveals “a gross violation of Israel’s sovereignty and jurisdiction by purported allies,” Naomi Kahn, director of the International Division for Regavim, an Israeli NGO that deals with land issues, told JNS at the time.

The EU has long been actively supporting the Palestinian side of the conflict, demanding that Israel not evict illegal Palestinian squatters while working to establish facts on the ground against Israel’s interests, as documented by NGO Regavim.

World Israel News contributed to this report.

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“We have returned to our lands, we will return and buy more houses and more land to Judaize the area, we are not afraid to say it,” said Eliyahu Liebman, head of the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Council.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

A group of Israelis entered a new home complex in the city of Hebron on Thursday, the latest real-estate purchase from local Arabs.

The building, called Beit HaHerut (the House of Liberty), is situated close to the Tomb of the Patriarchs on the main road connecting the holy site to the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. It has been built in recent years and has been vacated for a long period of time.

The building is reportedly just outside the security limits of the small Israeli zone in Hebron, and the residents have placed metal steps to pass the blockade that the IDF placed there years ago.

IDF soldiers are securing the new residents.

Peace Now organization, which is opposed to Jews’ presence in Hebron, stated that “this settlement should be evicted before it is established. It doesn’t matter if they bought the house or not, this is an illegal settlement for all intents and purposes.”

However, Eliyahu Liebman, head of the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Council, stated that with “another house, another meter and another room, Kiryat Arba-Hebron is expanding today with another house purchased legally, Jewish families lived in this house as Jews lived in this area in the past.”

“We have returned to our lands, we will return and buy more houses and more land to Judaize the area, we are not afraid to say it,” he declared.

He thanked and congratulated “all those involved in the holy work, especially the Harchivi Mekom Ohalech association which purchased the house and is working around the clock to return more and more homes to the Jews.”

Harchivi organization has worked in the past decade to purchase homes from Arabs in Hebron.

The area in Hebron in which Jews can live is very limited. The Hebron Protocol of 1997 divided the city into two sectors – H1, controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA), and H2, approximately 20% of the city, administered by Israel. The Jewish community resides within the Israeli-controlled part of the city.

Israeli organizations have previously purchased buildings in Hebron, including Beit Hatkuma (House of Revival) and Beit HaShalom (House of Peace), often situated at strategic locations.

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NGOs that are largely funded by European and other foreign entities regularly flout Israeli law on their annual reports but are not held accountable.

By World Israel News Staff

A number of left-wing Israeli NGOs, including B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence, regularly violate Israel’s transparency laws around revealing the sources of their foreign funding via timely annual reports and should be subject to millions of shekels in fines, according to a new report from a watchdog group.

“In Israel, there are NGOs that receive most of their funding from foreign governments, mainly European, as well as [from] the United Nations and the European Union. Between 2012 to 2021, NGOs that are usually identified as leftist and many that are far-left groups have received more than 750 million shekels in foreign funding,” said Alon Schvartzer, head of the Research Division of Zionist NGO Im Tirtzu in a statement.

But despite the massive sums received by these organizations, they are not properly disclosing basic information on their funding or turning in their annual reports on time, which is in direct violation of Israeli law, Im Tirtzu charged.

In 2011, the Knesset passed the Transparency Law, which mandated that NGOs supported by foreign entities must reveal the exact amount of monetary aid they received, no matter how small, on a quarterly basis.

In 2016, the law was amended to include that NGOs that receive the majority of their support from foreign entities must make that expressly clear in their annual reports. Any advertising by the NGO, such as on billboards, their websites, or TV ads, must also include a disclaimer that they are mostly funded by foreign bodies.

In an expansive review of left-wing NGOs’ annual reports to the Israeli government, Im Tirtzu found that the organizations regularly flouted regulations and were often in direct violation of Israeli law.

For example, on average, these NGOs submitted their reports nine months after the deadline. Under Israeli law, NGOs that fail to turn in annual reports on time are subject to stiff penalties.

Peace Now, Yesh Din, and Adalah organizations should each be subject to three to four million shekels in fines due to the late reports, according to Im Tirtzu.

Im Tirtzu noted that not one penalty has been levied against these foreign-funded groups for breaking Israeli law.

Schvartzer added that they “received confirmation from the Justice Ministry stating that our complaints are correct,” but despite widespread knowledge of the problem, no steps were taken to hold the NGOs accountable.

“Sadly, it demonstrates how NGOs who receive foreign government funding will not be disciplined nor sanctioned.”

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“A Palestinian state is first and foremost in our interest,” says Peace Now.

By David Hellerman

The left-wing Peace Now organization put a up a massive sign in Tel Aviv featuring a Palestinian flag.

The sign features Israeli and Palestinian flags and says in Hebrew, “President Biden, welcome to the two states we love most.”

“We welcome President Biden, a true friend of Israel, and thank him for his efforts to advance Israel’s interests and to strengthen Israel,” Peace Now explained in a statement.

“The sign which we hung up is a reminder to the president, a strong supporter of two states, that a Palestinian state is first and foremost in our interest, as Israelis, and the region can never have a good future without peace between us and our Palestinian neighbors.”

“Every time is a good time to do the right thing for the State of Israel, and after Lapid spoke with Mahmoud Abbas and with leaders of the region, the next necessary step is to open negotiations. Dear Mr. President, welcome to the two states we love the most. This is your time to act together with the two leaders to turn the vision into reality.”

In June, Israeli peace activists sparked controversy by hanging a giant Palestinian flag in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan.

President Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday.

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Addressing criticism from the left, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein defended Herzog’s decision to travel to Hebron, questioning the political nature of the visit. 

By Tobias Siegal, World Israel News

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will attend a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at the Cave of the Patriarchs on Sunday evening with the participation of Jewish leaders and residents of Hebron.

Herzog’s announcement drew opposition from the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terror organizations, from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and from Israeli left-wing movements.

Believed to be the the burial site of the three Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, the Cave of the Patriarchs is considered Judaism’s second holiest site and Islam’s fourth. The site houses both Jewish sanctuaries of worship and the Ibrahimi mosque.

Hamas official Ismail Redwan stated Friday that Herzog’s intent to “light the first candle for the so-called ‘Hanukkah’ at the Ibrahimi Mosque” is “a provocation of the Palestinians’ feelings and a blatant desecration of the sanctity of the mosque.”

Hamas later called on the Arab residents of Judea and Samaria to act with violence and “ward off this provocative move and confront the Israeli occupation aggression on the Ibrahimi Mosque.”

The Islamic Jihad released a similar statement, calling on the residents of Hebron to “put aside internal conflicts and to focus on Israel.” The organization said that “the entire Palestinian people should prevent [Herzog’s visit] by force.”

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called Herzog’s planned visit “a dangerous precedent attempting to Judaize the site” and argued that such visits “provide support to the organized terror of settlers.”

Palestinian TV released footage of several Palestinian protesters opposing Herzog’s visit who arrived to the entrance of the site and clashed with Israeli soldiers positioned there hours before Herzog’s planned arrival.

جيش الاحتلال يعتدي على فلسطينيين احتشدوا بالقرب من المسجد الإبراهيمي في مدينة الخليل المحتلة رفضاً لإقتحامات الاحتلال وقادته وتأكيداً على المكان المقدس في فلسطين pic.twitter.com/x8V3qBYRlI

— غزة الآن – Gaza Now #عاجل (@GazaNownews) November 28, 2021

The Peace Now movement, which opposes Israel’s presence in Hebron, called Herzog’s visit “disappointing.”

The left-wing movement said it would also send several of its members to the Cave of the Patriarchs to protest the president’s visit.

Likud MK Yuli Edelstein defended Herzog’s decision to travel to Hebron, questioning the political nature of the visit.

“People have lost their minds,” he told Israel National News. “If an Israeli president, who doesn’t affiliate himself with the right, and does not see the Cave of the Patriarchs as a controversial issue or something political – why attack him? I don’t understand it,” Edelstein said.

“I wish our president a positive experience lighting a Hanukkah candle at the Cave of the Patriarchs,” Edelstein added. “It shouldn’t be different from when he goes lighting Hanukkah candles across Israel and in other historic sites.”

Following May’s 11-day battle in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Israel decided to freeze the building of a handicapped-accessible entry to the Cave of the Patriarchs after the Palestinian Authority had deemed the move as “Judaization” of the site and threatened retaliation.

Despite the Palestinian opposition, the plans were initially approved by then-Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and were put on hold again in May by Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

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Israel reportedly assured Washington that construction of a new neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem will not proceed, despite committee approval.

By World Israel News Staff

The Jerusalem Municipality on Wednesday, through the City Council’s Planning and Building Committee, gave initial approval for construction of a new neighborhood on the site of the abandoned Atarot Airport in eastern Jerusalem.

The airport was closed during the 2000 Palestinian Intifada.

The neighborhood was planned for the construction of 9,000 homes as well as space for hotels, commercial buildings and open spaces on an area of roughly 1,243 dunams (307 acres).

“We passed the first main hurdle to get the Atarot neighborhood approved (they also approved our project to create an aviation museum and visitor’s center in the Old airport terminal by 5-4 votes),” Chaim Silberstein, founder and director of public diplomacy organization Keep Jerusalem, stated Wednesday evening.

“Let’s pray that in two weeks at the district committee, the neighborhood will also be approved.  That is the main vote. This is a very important strategic goal for Jerusalem,” he stated.

The Interior Ministry District Planning Committee was expected to make a decision on the project on December 6.

However, Israel has assured Washington that the project will not be advanced at this time, despite the initial boost, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.

The reported cancellation of the plan “marks the first time since Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took office in May that he has appeared to acquiesce to U.S. pressure to hold off on Jewish construction over the pre-1967 lines,” the Post noted.

Hagit Ofran of the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said a district planning committee meeting at which the project was expected to be approved has been cancelled, meaning “the plan is off the table for now, “Associated Press reported.

Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum said she was not aware of any move to shelve the project, AP reported.

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Judge rejects Peace Now appeal, clearing way for work to begin on Chabad Quarter.

By David Hellerman, World Israel News

After years of legal wrangling, Hebron Jew began construction on a new Jewish area this week.

The compound, referred to as the Chabad Quarter, in the Hezkiyahu neighborhood, will include 31 apartment units as well as two kindergartens.

The property, just off Shuhada St., is on land originally owned by the Hebron Jewish community.

According to the Jerusalem Post, after Jordan seized Hebron during the 1948 War of Independence, the property was treated as abandoned property and used as a school and bus station under a protected tenancy agreement.

Israel respected that protected tenancy after taking over Judea and Samaria in 1967, allowing the Palestinians there to continue leasing it.

However, the IDF seized the property in 1980 for security reasons and used it as an army base.

In 2017, the government, citing the property’s original Jewish ownership, approved construction of the Chabad Quarter, earmarking $6 million for the project.

The Palestinian municipality of Hebron and Peace Now took legal action, arguing that the property should revert back to the Palestinian tenants when the security reasons expire.

But a district court judge rejected the appeal two weeks ago, clearing the way for construction to begin.

Around 700 Jews live in Hebron’s Old City while another 7,300 live in nearby Kiryat Arba.

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“This place touches my DNA, as a Jew and an Israeli,” said Herzog.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

The Jewish people’s connection to Judea and Samaria “cannot be denied and reduced,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared while attending an inauguration ceremony of a new high school in Samaria with his wife on Tuesday, ahead of the new school year.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new building of the Tzviyah high school in the community of Har Bracha, overlooking the city of Schechem (Nablus), Herzog stated that he “wants to put aside for a moment the political debates regarding the permanent settlement with the Palestinian neighbors and say one simple truth – the deep connection of the Jewish people to these areas cannot be denied and reduced.”

“This place touches my DNA, as a Jew and an Israeli. After all, every visit to Samaria is a dive into the depths of our history. Past and present are folded here between the mountains,” he declared.

Herzog comes from the center-left on the political map and is not considered an ardent supporter of Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria.

These statements are even more significant over the background of statements by the left-wing Peace Now organization, which condemned him for his visit in Samaria.

“The president is embracing the extremists on the hills,” the organization, which is opposed to Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria, stated ahead of the visit.

“It is unfortunate to see how he who has opposed the settlement enterprise, becomes inured and normalizes the continued existence of a small and extreme minority in the occupied territories,” the statement said.

Herzog’s visit will “not change the fact that the settlements are a disaster for Israel and their strengthening constitutes a violation of the Israeli interest,” Peace Now claimed.

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Israeli franchise owner Omri Padan’s boycott of settlements may violate Israeli law. Is the U.S. corporation complicit?

By World Israel News Staff

While Ben & Jerry’s faces opprobrium from Israel and its supporters over its boycott of “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” reports over the last several years show that the McDonald’s fast food company has similarly refused to operate in Judea and Samaria for years – only in the latter case, it appears to be the local franchise that made that decision.

Unlike the ice cream battle, which originated in Vermont, the Golden Arches boycott was reportedly made at the initiative of the Israeli franchise owner, in apparent violation of Israeli law. Less obvious is whether McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Chicago is complicit.

The issue dates back at least to 2013 when Omri Padan, who owns and runs McDonald’s in Israel, reportedly rejected an offer to open a restaurant in a mall located in the city of Ariel in northern Samaria.

Padan is president of Alonyal Ltd., which operates 180 McDonald’s eateries in Israel — including some that are certified kosher.

Padan is also one of the co-founders of Peace Now, which opposes Jewish “settlements” in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

Calls for a boycott of McDonald’s Israel in response to Padan’s snub of Ariel fizzled. In 2019, the franchise received a tender to operate in Ben Gurion Airport despite objections from Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan and protests by IDF veterans.

During the debate over the airport tender, a McDonald’s Israel statement quoted by Haaretz was unequivocal: “Alonyal never had a license to open branches in the West Bank.”

It has not been made clear from previous reports whether McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Chicago agreed with the boycott.

However, Times of Israel reported on Wednesday that, “Corporate McDonald’s based in the U.S. gives each of its franchises abroad specific borders where they can open branches, and in Israel’s case, those borders never extended beyond the Green Line. But McDonald’s and McDonald’s Israel have been careful not to publicize those boundaries, and representatives from the fast-food chain in the US and Israel declined to speak on the record.”

Israeli law prohibits boycotts of its citizens based on their location, which is why the owner of the Israeli Ben & Jerry’s franchise, Avi Zinger, defied demands from Vermont to cease sales to the settlements. At that point, Ben & Jerry’s responded by saying they would not renew Zinger’s contract, which expires in 2023.

If the McDonald’s corporate headquarters are proven to be complicit, it too could face legal scrutiny in more than 30 states which have anti-BDS laws. Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company, Unilever, could face the loss of public contracts from New York to California. Some states could potentially require public pension plans to divest their holdings in the London-based conglomerate.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Gilad Erdan has already contacted the governors of those states asking them to implement their anti-BDS laws against Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever.

World Israel News contacted McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago, asking if the McDonald’s Corporation has a policy not to operate in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and/or the Golan Heights? Furthermore, was Padan’s decision not to open a branch in Ariel made in coordination with corporate headquarters?

No reply was received before the publishing deadline.

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Describing the assassination of Thabet Thabet, a dentist from Tulkarem who was involved with Peace Now but in fact facilitated acts of terror, former Shin Bet head Avi Dichter explains how such murderers continue to be looked at as men of peace.

The post WATCH: Former Shin Bet head describes assassination of ‘peace-loving’ terrorist appeared first on World Israel News.

Left-wing activists complain that over 12,000 housing plans were approved in 2020, but overall building fell during the Trump years while the PA conducted many land grabs.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Construction in Judea and Samaria is set to take off in the coming years due to a jump in planning approvals under the watch of the Trump administration, the Associated  Press reported on Wednesday in what appeared to be part news article and part cri de coeur for the Biden administration to stop it.

“If left unchallenged by the Biden administration, the construction boom could make fading hopes for an internationally backed two-state solution — Palestine alongside Israel — even more elusive,” the report begins.

The Biden administration says settlements harm peace efforts. “We believe, when it comes to settlement activity, that Israel should refrain from unilateral steps that exacerbate tensions and that undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

However, the report of more housing approvals will be welcomed by those who support the settlement movement. Israel rejects the premise that settlements are an obstacle to peace, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his last campaign, pledged to support settlement construction.

Some 12,000 housing plans in the region were approved at various levels last year. “That was the highest number since Peace Now started collecting data in 2012,” AP reports.

The AP also reported that its own investigation had discovered a “massive development of settlement infrastructure” that would help lead to a housing boom in the very near future.

According to Peace Now, more than 9,200 homes were built in the region over the Trump years.

“2020 was really the first year where everything that was being built was more or less because of what was approved at the beginning of the Trump presidency,” Peace Now spokesman Brian Reeves told AP. “It’s the settlement approvals that are actually more important than construction.”

Peace Now researcher Hagit Ofran says construction carried out in the region “is the ongoing policy of de facto annexation” and will destroy the ability to create a state for the Palestinians.

While criticizing legal building by Israel, the report ignores Palestinian Authority (PA) violations that have been going on for years. The Regavim movement, an Israeli NGO that monitors land issues, has reported that from 2009 to 2018, the number of illegal Arab structures in Area C, which is completely under Israeli control, nearly doubled, from 29,784 to 58,435.

Regavim says that over 78,626 dunams of land were seized illegally up to 2018 with the total number growing. The group has documented many more seizures over the last two years as well.

In comparison, Jewish building in Judea and Samaria covered an area of 56,700 dunams in 2018. Jewish towns and villages currently cover only some 1.5% of the land in the disputed region as a whole.

While Peace Now has criticized the push for housing plans, which the AP attributes to Trump-era policies, in 2020 ground was broken for only 1,026 new homes according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

“Overall, according to the CBS, there was a 31% dip in the number of settler housing starts during the four years Trump was in the White House when compared to the last four years of Obama’s time in the White House,” The Jerusalem Post reports. Obama is widely considered by Israelis to have favored the Palestinians in the dispute.

Other factors unrelated to the U.S. administration’s policies, like the corona pandemic, may have influenced housing starts.

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Nothing points to the legitimacy of housing units in Givat Hamatos better than the diatribes of Peace Now, the Palestinian Authority, the European Union and the United Nations.

By Ruthie Blum, JNS

A good way to evaluate a policy is by examining the identity of its critics. The controversy surrounding the tenders issued on Sunday by the Israel Lands Authority for the construction of 1,257 new housing units in the southeastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Hamatos is a perfect case in point.

Outrage at the building plan, which has been in the works for six years, was swift to emerge from the usual suspects: the Israeli NGO Peace Now, the Palestinian Authority, the European Union and the United Nations. It’s basically all one needs to know before forming an opinion about the move.

Let’s begin with Peace Now. In September 2014, the organization that serves as a kind of settlement watchdog—growling and barking about every balcony added to an apartment in an area of the Jewish state that they deem “illegally occupied”—alerted fellow Israel-bashers across the ocean to the fact that the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee had approved the construction of homes in Givat Hamatos.

Never mind that the neighborhood, originally filled with caravans for the housing of new immigrants from Ethiopia, is outside the so-called Green Line.

Forget that the plan includes a phase of the construction of Arab housing on private lands belonging to the nearby Palestinian town of Beit Safafa.

Disregard the shortage of land available for Jewish housing in Jerusalem—a situation that has caused a hike in rent and purchase prices, as well as an exodus from the Israeli capital.

None of the above prevented the administration of then-U.S. President Barack Obama from throwing a fit at the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Oct. 1 visit to the White House.

Though the purpose of the meeting between Netanyahu and Obama (in the presence of then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden) had been to discuss Iran and ISIS, it was upstaged by reports in the Israeli media, courtesy of Peace Now, about—gasp—apartments slated for Givat Hamatos.

In a briefing with reporters, then-U.S. State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki called the plan “contrary to Israel’s stated goal of negotiating a permanent status agreement with the Palestinians,” and said that it “will only draw condemnation from the international community; distance Israel from even its closest allies; poison the atmosphere not only with the Palestinians, but also with the very Arab governments with which Prime Minister Netanyahu said he wanted to build relations; and call into question Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”

Netanyahu was miffed. “I think [the Obama administration] should be acquainted with the facts first,” he told NBC News at the time. “You know? First of all, these are not settlements. These are neighborhoods of Jerusalem. We have Arab neighborhoods, and we have Jewish neighborhoods.”

Nevertheless, he put the plan on hold. In February of this year, he announced that it would be going forward. Once again, Peace Now pounced.

“Construction in Givat Hamatos is a serious blow to the two-state solution,” the NGO declared. “This is the last point enabling territorial continuity between Bethlehem and East Jerusalem. A transitional government has no mandate to take such a far-reaching policy change. Netanyahu and [U.S. President Donald] Trump claim to have advanced a ‘peace plan,’ but Netanyahu’s actions, including promoting this expansion, are clear proof that he is doing everything to prevent peace and a resolution to the conflict.”

This statement is now more laughable than ever, given Israel’s recent signing of the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and normalization agreement with Sudan. Naturally, these agreements didn’t stop Peace Now from reacting to the release of the Givat Hamatos tenders by accusing Netanyahu of “taking advantage of the final weeks of the Trump administration in order to set facts on the ground that will be exceedingly hard to undo in order to achieve peace.”

What the anti-Netanyahu, anti-Trump NGO really means by this, however, is that the above Mideast treaties expose PA leader Mahmoud Abbas and his henchmen—in the words of UAE official Dirar Belhoul al-Falasi—as “small-time hucksters” who “don’t care about ordinary Palestinians.”

Still, Abbas maintains the charade that has served him in such good stead with his left-wing Western apologists. Responding to the Givat Hamatos tenders, his spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, reiterated the tired mantra about settlements being illegal and part of Israel’s efforts “to kill the internationally backed two-state solution.”

EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell also weighed in, stating: “[Givat Hamatos] is a key location between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. Any settlement construction will cause serious damage to the prospects for a viable and contiguous Palestinian state.”

And then there’s UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov, who said, “If built, [Givat Hamatos] would further consolidate a ring of settlements between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. It would significantly damage prospects for a future contiguous Palestinian state and for achieving a negotiated two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states. Settlement construction is illegal under international law and I call on the authorities to reverse this step.”

As Netanyahu clarified the last time he was rebuked over this issue, Givat Hamatos is not a settlement; it is a Jewish neighborhood in Israel’s capital city. Furthermore, the Trump administration not only officially recognized Jerusalem as such—and moved the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv—but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared last November that settlements are not “inconsistent with international law.”

Pompeo, as it happens, is in Paris, on the first leg of a seven-nation, 10-day trip to Europe and the Middle East. After leaving France, he is scheduled to visit Turkey, Georgia and Israel, before heading to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

When in Israel, he will reportedly tour the Golan Heights, as well as Judea and Samaria. This should serve as a reminder of two things: that the United States under Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the former, and only requested that Netanyahu postpone extending sovereignty over the latter to make it easier for the Gulf and other Muslim-majority states to jump on the peace bandwagon.

Naturally, Palestinian officials are livid with their Arab brethren for normalizing ties with Israel. They are also furious about Pompeo’s upcoming visit to Judea and Samaria.

On Friday, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh tweeted: “We deplore … Pompeo’s intent to visit the illegal settlement of Psagot, built on lands belonging to Palestinian owners in Al-Bireh city, during his visit to Israel next week. This dangerous precedent legalizes settlements and a blow to international legitimacy/UN resolutions.”

On Monday, he added, “We call upon the international community’s members to reject Pompeo’s visit and impose a total ban on Israeli settlement products. The Palestinian government will take every possible legal measure against any companies or investors in Israeli settlements.”

Anyone unsure about the justification for new housing units in Givat Hamatos need only note the choir of voices denouncing the plan. Indeed, nothing points to the legitimacy of the move better than the diatribes of Peace Now, the PO, the EU and the UN.

Ruthie Blum is an Israel-based journalist and author of “To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the ‘Arab Spring.’”

The post Analysis: The usual suspects against Jewish construction in Jerusalem appeared first on World Israel News.

UN, EU, and Israeli Left denounce the plan for 1,200 new homes in the Givat Hamatos neighborhood.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The UN joined the European Union (EU) and Israel’s far left on Monday in denouncing a government tender published Sunday to build 1,257 homes in a new Jewish neighborhood called Givat Hamatos in eastern Jerusalem.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN envoy to the Middle East peace process, called on Israel to “reverse this step,” reiterating the international body’s opinion that “settlement construction is illegal under international law.”

“If built,” he said in a statement, “it would further consolidate a ring of settlements between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. It would significantly damage prospects for a future contiguous Palestinian State and for achieving a negotiated two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”

Mladenov’s words closely echoed EU High Representative Josep Borrell’s statement regarding the “serious damage” that building Givat Hamatos would cause to prospects for “a two-state solution.”

“The Government of Israel should instead show vision and responsibility and reverse these negative decisions at this critical and sensitive time,” Borrell said.

By giving the green light now, Netanyahu is fulfilling a promise made to his right-wing constituents during the last election campaign in February to establish Givat Hamatos.

According to the Construction and Housing Ministry, the delay in beginning the bidding process for construction was caused solely by technical details such as budgetary matter, which have now been ironed out.

However, coalition chairman Miki Zohar admitted Sunday that “until now, the tender had been frozen in light of international diplomatic sensitivity to [Jewish] building over the pre-1967 lines.”

The thinking changed due to the results of the American presidential elections. The last two months of the Trump administration, which contrary to world opinion does not see settlements as per se illegal, “provides opportunity that will not repeat itself to strengthen our hold on the Land of Israel,” he explained.

The left-wing Peace Now organization also recognized the significance of the timing in a statement demanding that the bidding process on construction be cancelled.

“This Netanyahu-Gantz government was established to fight the coronavirus, but instead it is taking advantage of the final weeks of the Trump administration in order to set facts on the ground that will be exceedingly hard to undo in order to achieve peace. This tender can still be stopped,” Peace Now said.

If the government holds to its decision, Givat Matos will be the first neighborhood built in eastern Jerusalem in some 20 years.

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Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez was slated to speak at the event, but bowed to pressure from a “woke” Twitter mob and withdrew her participation.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Americans for Peace Now commemorated the 25th anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination via an online memorial service on Tuesday.

The event was viewed by 1,700 online attendees and featured appearances from politicians, activists, and entertainers from the U.S. and Israel.

Speakers included Palestinian Authority official Ashraf Al-Ajami, Homeland star Mandy Patankin, and Rabin’s granddaughter, Noa Rothman.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the first Muslim American elected to Congress, spoke at the event, despite facing intense pressure from Palestinian groups, including the International Solidarity Movement and American Muslims for Palestine, to withdraw from the memorial.

Ellison opened by saying, “I want to thank Americans for Peace Now for honoring Yitzhak Rabin.”

He criticized Rabin, saying he “did things that I think were human rights abuses,” but mostly focused on Rabin’s legacy of peacemaking.

“Despite being a fierce proponent of his cause, he also said we must make peace with the Palestinians,” said Ellison. “He said it and said it again, and he reached his hand out in peace.”

He added that Rabin provided an example of “true bravery” in facing the political risks associated with the Oslo Accords.

Keith Ellison, now speaking at APN’s Yitzhak Rabin memorial event: Rabin “gave his life for the cause he believed in, which was peace.”

— AmericansforPeaceNow (@PeaceNowUS) October 21, 2020

Rabin “gave his life for the cause he believed in, which was peace,” Ellison concluded.

Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez was slated to speak at the event, but bowed to pressure from a “woke” Twitter mob and withdrew her participation.

The event’s organizer, Americans for Peace Now, promotes a two-state solution approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The left-wing organization has spoken out against Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria.

But despite Americans for Peace Now’s stance on settlements and its pro-peace policies, far-left Twitter activists condemned Ocasio Cortez’s initial decision to participate in the Rabin memorial.

Jewish Currents journalist Alex Kane tweeted at Ocasio Cortez, “In the U.S., Rabin is viewed as a liberal peacemaker, but Palestinians remember him for his brutal rule suppressing Palestinian protest during the First Intifada, as someone who reportedly ordered the breaking of Palestinian bones.”

Ocasio Cortez claimed that she was misled by organizers about the purpose of the event and that she would be “taking a look into this.”

Criticism quickly reached a fever pitch as BDS activists and pro-Palestinian groups bombarded her with negative tweets.

Without making a public statement, Ocasio-Cortez told Americans for Peace Now she would not participate in the memorial.

Her withdrawal from the event was celebrated as a victory by many on the far left.

Former Jewish Voice for Peace executive director Rebecca Vilkomerson tweeted, “She paused, listened to Palestinians and their allies … and withdrew from an event honoring Rabin… This is true leadership and consistent principles. Thank you!”

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Minnesota Attorney General, the first Muslim elected to Congress, will speak at the virtual event after AOC backed out.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will speak at an online memorial service for Yitzhak Rabin, Americans for Peace Now announced on the weekend.

Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, will be one of the keynote speakers. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez canceled her appearance after she received criticism from pro-Palestinian supporters who objected to her participation.

“We’re very pleased to announce that Minnesota Attorney General @keithellison will speak at APN’s Yitzhak Rabin 25-Year Memorial Event,” Americans for Peace Now tweeted. “We honor the courageous steps he took and his legacy. We continue to hold the prospect of peace as the ultimate goal for Israelis and Palestinians.”

The virtual event being held online on October 20 will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the assassination of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was shot and killed by right-wing activist Yigal Amir in 1995.

While in Congress, Ellison visited Israel in 2010 and toured the site of Rabin’s assassination in Tel Aviv. However, he has repeatedly come under fire for his association with Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam organization, and for voting against funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

Peace Now said that House and Senate resolutions have been introduced to honor Rabin “and to reiterate support for a two-state solution.”

In 2015 Ellison co-sponsored a resolution in the House of Representatives that “commemorates the life and accomplishments of Yitzhak Rabin” and “recognizes and reiterates its continued support for the close ties and special relationship between the United States and Israel.”

Last week, the American Jewish Congress expressed disappointment in Ocasio-Cortez’s choice to pull out of the event.

“Yitzhak Rabin gave his life to the struggle for peace. He was assassinated because he was a peacemaker and we should never forget it,” the group said in a statement on their site.

“By withdrawing from this event, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has distanced herself from the principle of supporting those who seek engagement to foster peace.”

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