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Palestinian man with criminal record stole Arab-Israeli man’s identity, passed government-approved firearms course, obtained a gun license and started working as armed guard at popular mall in central Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

A Palestinian man with a criminal record was able to successfully infiltrate into Israel, pose as an Arab-Israeli citizen, undergo a firearms course, and obtain a gun license without triggering suspicion from authorities.

The man was working as an armed security guard at a shopping center in central Israel for several months before he was discovered, raising serious questions around failures in the Jewish state’s security apparatus.

According to Hebrew-language media reports, Mahmud al-Raja, 36, stole the identity of an Arab-Israeli citizen and used his personal details to begin working in Israel.

Originally from the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Dura, south of Hebron, al-Raja did not have a valid work permit which would allow him to enter Israel and be employed in the country.

Using the victims’ personal information, al-Raja signed up for an Israeli government-approved firearms course.

Upon completing the training, he was issued a firearms permit by the authorities, which allowed him to carry a personal handgun and qualified him to work as a security guard.

He then found employment as a security guard at a popular mall in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

The impostor was only discovered because the victim whose identity was stolen received a notification that he had been issued a weapons permit. As the victim had never applied for such a license, he was concerned and filed a police complaint.

Eventually, the authorities discovered al-Raja had assumed the victim’s identity to fraudulently obtain the permit and work. He was arrested while leaving the mall where he worked.

“This case evokes difficult feelings between great embarrassment and a real concern arising from the way the authorities handled the case of the suspect, who scammed his way to a weapons license, and even employment as a security guard at the Holon mall, while being a resident of the Palestinian Authority,” said Judge Alaa Massarwa at al-Raja’s arraignment hearing.

“He pretended to be an Israeli, has a criminal record, and has also accumulated convictions for property crimes, violent crimes, and fraud,” Massarwa noted.

Initial reports indicated that there were no signs al-Raja was planning a terror attack.

The post ‘Embarrassing’ security failure – Illegal Palestinian obtained gun license, worked as armed guard appeared first on World Israel News.

Protesters block Tel Aviv highway as turnout rises in 22nd weekly demonstration against judicial overhaul.

By The Associated Press

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday to protest judicial overhaul plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.

The weekly protests, now in their 22nd week, continue despite Netanyahu’s March announcement that the contentious legal proposals were put on hold.

Several rallies were held across Israel, with the main protest drawing tens of thousands in the central city of Tel Aviv. The turnout at the Tel Aviv gathering was estimated by Hebrew media outlets to be at least 95,000 – up from 80,00 last week.

The protesters waved Israel’s flags, lit torches, and beat drums.

Hundreds of demonstrators at the Tel Aviv rally blocked traffic on the Ayalon Highway. Police officers quickly cleared demonstrators from the northbound highway, though protesters continued to block the southbound Ayalon for over an hour.

The plan would curtail judicial activism and the judiciary’s ability to strike down laws and government decisions, a move critics say poses a direct threat to civil rights.

Protests have continued even though the government and Opposition are in talks, brokered by President Isaac Herzog, to find a compromise on the plan.

The government says the judicial plan is meant to rein in what it says is an overly interventionist Supreme Court and restore power to elected legislators. Critics say it will grant the government unrestrained power and upend the country’s system of checks and balances.

The post Israelis rally against judicial reform for 22nd week in a row appeared first on World Israel News.

This week, a Massachusetts man was arrested and charged for the murder of his 82-year-old mother in a hotel parking lot. Daniel Uhlman, 53, was taken into custody by the Marlborough Police Department on Thursday after officers responded to a call concerning a potential homicide.

Prosecutor Steven Gilpatric stated that when Uhlman’s mother arrived at the Holiday Inn & Suites in the 200 block of Lakeside Avenue, her son asked her to park in the back lot, claiming he wanted to smoke cigarettes. Once there, Uhlman allegedly stabbed and beat his mother with a butter knife before running her over with her truck. Uhlman then asked the hotel staff to contact the police.

When questioned about the crime, Uhlman allegedly told authorities, “I just felt like killing her.” His attorney stated that Uhlman was off his anti-psychotic medication for one month at the time of the incident.

Uhlman’s criminal history includes another attack on his mom. In 2014 he was convicted for stabbing his mother multiple times with steak knives.

In response, the Holiday Inn issued a statement expressing sadness and their full cooperation with the investigation.

A shocking incident at a Sonic Drive-In restaurant recently left customers and employees uneasy. Jeffrey David Salazar, 54, was arrested and faces a felony charge for the possession of a controlled substance. The substance was inadvertently placed in a customer’s “Coney” hot dog and tested positive for cocaine.

The customer had bitten into a plastic bag containing the drug, though she does not believe any powdered substance went into her mouth. Salazar admitted to police that he purchased the cocaine from someone in the restaurant’s parking lot.

The affidavit for the arrest warrant stated that Salazar was observed on video surveillance conducting a hand-to-hand transaction with a female employee. After delivering the food, Salazar frantically searched the area “as if he lost something.”

The incident at Sonic raises questions about food safety in restaurants nationwide. How did the cocaine end up on the customer’s hot dog? While Salazar is responsible for the incident, it highlights the need for restaurants to have strict safety protocols to protect customers from exposure to dangerous substances.

Four people were killed when the yacht sank, including one former Mossad agent and two Italian intelligence agents.

By World Israel News Staff

A secret meeting between Mossad and Italian intelligence personnel that ended in tragedy when the boat they were on capsized earlier this week was held with the purpose of preventing Tehran from obtaining advanced unconventional weapons, the Italian La Repubblica newspaper reported over the weekend.

Four people were killed when the yacht sank, including one former Mossad agent and two Italian intelligence agents. The wife of the ship’s captain also died.

The ill-fated yacht carried a total of 24 individuals at the time that it capsized, including two crew members and 22 passengers.

Among them were 10 Israeli intelligence officers and several Italian officers, both active and retired.

Initial reports had said the group had gathered to commemorate a birthday but other reports later said it was a high level intelligence meeting.

The New York Times quoted a senior Israeli security official as saying that it was “neither a birthday party nor a vacation. Without going into details, it was related to [the Mossad agent’s] work, and it is very sad we lost such a man,” and added that the victim also worked to connect Israel with spy agencies around the world.

After the vessel capsized, the Israeli team and their Italian counterparts swam to the shore and were promptly rescued. Alongside the Mossad agent, three other people, including two Italian intelligence officers, lost their lives in the incident.

The ten surviving Israeli agents were whisked on an emergency military flight back to Israel.

The Italian intelligence agents were secretly transferred out of the hospitals they had arrived at in an attempt to keep their identities hidden, Italian media reported.

The post Mossad meeting on capsized boat in Italy was on secret Iran-related mission – report appeared first on World Israel News.

“It is absurd beyond contemplation that Iran would serve in a position of leadership on the General Assembly’s committee on disarmament and international security.”

By Andrew Bernard, Algemeiner

Iran on Thursday was elected to two new leadership roles at the United Nations in New York, eliciting a fierce rebuke from both the United States and Israel.

Speaking at the UN’s first committee, which is responsible for disarmament, US Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs Ambassador Robert Wood said following Iran’s election as the committee’s rapporteur that Iran was unfit to serve given that the committee’s purpose is to “address the very security problems that Tehran itself perpetuates.”

“It is absurd beyond contemplation that Iran would serve in a position of leadership on the General Assembly’s committee on disarmament and international security,” Wood said.

Wood cited Iran’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its export of “violence and weaponry to neighboring countries, causing death and destruction from Syria to Iraq to Yemen, and elsewhere.”

As is common for UN positions, Iran’s election was uncontested and the vote for the position was unrecorded. Iran was similarly elected on Thursday to serve as one of the Vice Presidents of the UN General Assembly, which was likewise condemned by US Representative for UN Management and Reform Chris Lu.

“Iran’s record, unfortunately, speaks for itself,” Lu said. “It defies UN Security Council arms embargoes, violates the human rights of its own citizens, and exports violence and weapons, fostering insecurity and inciting violence throughout the Middle East and across the globe.”

Israel was the only other country to speak out against Iran’s election to the roles. Writing on Twitter, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called the elections a “disgrace.”

“The Ayatollah regime in Iran is a threat to its citizens, the Middle East, and the world,” Erdan said. “It murders its own people, funds global terror, and is galloping toward a nuclear weapon at unprecedented speed. This regime must be stopped and sanctioned and should never have a role in the UN system. This election shows that the UN has reached a new low.”

Iran will assume both leadership positions at the start of the 78th session of the General Assembly in September.

Highlighting the global reach of Iran’s violent efforts, the US Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned members and affiliates of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were involved in assassination plots in the United States, including an effort to assassinate former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

“The United States remains focused on disrupting plots by the IRGC and its Qods Force, both of which have engaged in numerous assassination attempts and other acts of violence and intimidation against those they deem enemies of the Iranian regime,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson. “We will continue to expose and disrupt these terrorist activities and efforts to silence opposing voices, particularly those who advocate for respect for the universal human rights and freedoms of the Iranian people.”

One of those five, Shahram Poursafi, was indicted by the Justice Department in August 2022 after he attempted to pay $300,000 for Bolton’s murder as retaliation for the US drone strike that killed IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani.

All of the individuals sanctioned on Thursday remain at large abroad in Iran and Turkey.

The post Israel, US slam ‘absurd’ appointment of Iran to senior roles at UN appeared first on World Israel News.

Leftist anti-reform protesters lodged a harassment complaint with New York police against Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman after he grabbed a megaphone.

As he was walking down the street with his bodyguards, some anti-government protesters approached Rothman, who is the chairman of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, and shouted at him: “Go back home and free our country”.

The post WATCH: Judicial reform architect MK Simcha Rothman snatches megaphone from leftist activist in New York appeared first on World Israel News.

Netanyahu vowed to “thoroughly investigate” the incident, which Egypt claimed was related to a drug smuggling attempt.

By World Israel News Staff

Two Israeli soldiers were shot and killed by an Egyptian police officer on Saturday morning. A subsequent exchange of gunfire within Israeli territory later that day resulted in the death of the terrorist and a third Israeli soldier.

The IDF is currently investigating the circumstances, including the manner in which the Egyptian officer managed to cross into Israel from Egypt.

In a statement, the Egyptian army indicated that a border security officer pursued suspects believed to be involved in drug smuggling. “During the pursuit, he crossed the security barrier and an exchange of fire began, in which three Israeli security personnel were killed,” the statement read, expressing “sincere condolences” to the bereaved families.

Hours before the first two soldiers were killed by the attacker, IDF forces prevented an attempt to smuggle 1.5 million NIS worth of drugs across the border.

The deceased, all combat soldiers from Bardelas Battalion unit which secures the border with Egypt, were identified as Sgt. Lia Ben Nun, 19, from Rishon Lezion, and Staff Sgt. Ori Yitzhak Iluz, 20, from Safed. Staff Sgt. Ohad Dahan, 20, from Ofakim, was the soldier killed in the subsequent encounter with the gunman.

Iluz and Ben Nun commenced a guard duty together late on Friday at a border post, according to the IDF spokesperson. Following unresponsive radio calls on Saturday morning, an officer arrived at the scene and found the two soldiers deceased, as per the IDF’s preliminary investigation.

The attacker infiltrated through the border using an emergency gate, the IDF said later on Saturday evening, adding that Iluz and Ben Nun did not return his fire.
Later, the IDF reported another gunfight in the Mount Harif area where the first attack occurred.

“During an encounter with a terrorist in Israeli territory, a short while ago, an exchange of fire unfolded. Troops and commanders engaged [the suspect] and shot and killed him,” the IDF announced.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “serious and unusual” incident that would be “thoroughly investigated.”

“I would like to praise our forces who strived to make contact and eliminate the terrorist. Our hearts are with the families in their deepest sorrow.”

IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi said at the end of an operational assessment: “This is a difficult incident, during which two IDF soldiers and a female soldier, one of our best sons and daughters, fell in an operational activity to maintain security on the Egyptian border. At the end of an exchange of fire, in which IDF fighters strove for contact, the terrorist was killed. The incident takes place at the border where operational activities are carried out every night.”

Halevi also added: “We are investigating the incident in a thorough and in-depth manner, together with the Egyptian army, and we will draw the necessary lessons. The male and female fighters fulfilled their role and prevented further damage to the Israeli forces and the Israeli home front through their activities. I would like to strengthen the families for the loss.”

Defense Minister Yoav Galant expressed his sorrow over the soldiers who “carried out their missions with dedication but still ended with dire results.”

At the request of the Egyptian side, Gallant spoke with his counterpart, Mohamed Zaki, and underlined the importance of not allowing the event to harm the security ties between the two countries.

The two agreed to continue to work to prevent terrorist incidents in the future and to strengthen the relationship between the countries.

President Isaac Herzog called the incident “horrifying.”

“There are no words to describe the pain and loss. Along with the entire nation, I send my sincere condolences to their families and join in their mourning at this difficult time. We will remember them and we will continue to defend our borders with determination,” he said.

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Lamora Williams, a mother of three from Georgia, is accused of the horrific murder of two of her children. She has been accused of killing the children by placing them in the oven, and she has been charged with serious crimes in relation to the tragedy. On Friday, June 2, William waived her first court appearance.

On the night in question, Williams called 911 and expressed fear that her sons were dead and that she would be consequently sent to jail. Later, the father of the two deceased boys called 911 and described a video he received from Williams as “like a real horror movie.”

Both toddlers had burn marks on their bodies when police found them, leading the police to speculate they had been burned. However, the medical examiner concluded that these “thermal changes appear to be entirely from dry heat and changes from prolonged exposure to heat,” not burning.

Shockingly, it was believed the eldest boy, who survived, watched his mother kill his two younger brothers that tragic night.

Williams was in the courtroom on Friday morning but did not appear before the judge for the scheduled final plea hearing. Instead, lawyers for the state and defense reportedly agreed on a special setting for a trial date that a Fulton County Superior Court judge will announce in the future.

In October 2017, Lamora Williams was arrested and charged with four counts of felony murder, two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of concealing the death of another, and one count of making a false statement.

She has also been charged with two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, one count of cruelty to children in the second degree, one additional count of aggravated assault, one count of obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and one count of battery resulting in substantial physical harm.

The fate of Lamora Williams is now in the hands of the Fulton County Superior Court judge. A trial date for this tragic case will be announced in the coming weeks.

Let us have the courage to proclaim that all nuclear or conventional weapons, everything that is used to make war, must disappear!” Fidel Castro

The post “In a Nuclear War the Collateral Damage would be the Life of All Humanity”. Fidel Castro appeared first on Global Research.