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“Israel is a democracy, and in a democracy, one can hear different views,” Ben-Gvir’s spokesman said.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is planning to speak at an event hosted by the European Union delegation to Israel, despite hints from EU officials that he is not welcome at the gathering.

The EU delegation is slated to hold a Europe Day celebration, which celebrates peace and unity between countries on the continent, on Tuesday. Each year, the Israeli government sends an official representative, usually a coalition lawmaker, to the event.

But after learning that Ben-Gvir will be attending on behalf of the Israeli government, several EU officials and ambassadors have pushed back, with public statements indicating that he is unwanted at the event.

In a statement on Saturday, the EU delegation said “we do not endorse the political views of Minister Ben-Gvir or those of his party. In fact, many of his previous statements and views contradict the values the European Union stands for.”

The statement puzzlingly added that “we have not yet received a formal notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding” who would be attending on behalf of the Israeli government, perhaps in an attempt to give the coalition the opportunity to send a different representative.

Ben-Gvir appeared to be unruffled by the statement, releasing a response late Saturday evening.

“The minister believes that even if EU representatives ‘do not endorse [his] political views,’ as they said in their statement, they understand very well that Israel is a democracy, and in a democracy, one can hear different views,” Ben-Gvir’s spokesman said.

“Among other things, the minister will speak about the importance of the joint war on terrorism, will congratulate the European countries, will call for the strengthening of cooperation and will emphasize the need to unite around the fight against jihad and terrorists, and at the same time will point out that it is appropriate that the countries not finance projects against IDF soldiers and Israeli residents,” the statement added.

A European Union official told Haaretz that some many boycott the celebration, should Ben-Gvir attend and speak.

“I will not be surprised if there are diplomats who would prefer to avoid the Israeli minister or not come to the event,” they said.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slammed the lawmaker and said that sending him to the event was “a severe professional mistake” and would “damage” strengthening relations with European countries.

“Why should we endanger that? Ben-Gvir is not a legitimate person in the international community – and not really in Israel either – and sometimes you need to be smart and right and just send someone else,” Lapid said.

Lapid’s statement is notable as Ben-Gvir’s alliance with the Religious Zionist Party received the third-highest number of votes in the November 2022 elections, and he serves as a Minister within Netanyahu’s cabinet.

It’s unclear on what basis Lapid was arguing that Ben-Gvir is not considered a legitimate politician in Israel.

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Attorney General mulls freezing Netanyahu’s ongoing trials in bid to reboot talks for plea bargain which would see the prime minister resign from politics in exchange for not receiving jail sentence.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The attorney general is deciding whether to go for mediation that would stop the ongoing corruption trials against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Channel 12 reported Friday.

The deal, said political reporter Guy Peleg, is similar to another proposal offered from the start of the investigations against Netanyahu in late 2016.

It has been repeated since, such as when the indictments were formally issued three years later: Netanyahu would admit to the charges of fraud and breach of trust and have to retire from public life immediately, while the most serious charge, that of bribery, would be dropped, and he would not have to serve any time in jail.

“There will be no other kind of deal,” Peleg said forcefully.

The difference between mediation and a plea bargain is that the court is bound by the mediation agreement, which is negotiated by a justice who is unconnected to the cases. While judges overwhelmingly go along with plea deals struck between prosecutors and defense attorneys, they are not legally bound to do so, making it a more risky proposition. Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the concept in public, although others have said that he had at times been privately prepared to accept a deal.

Peleg made it clear that Netanyahu himself has not decided yet whether he would be open to the mediation procedure, which has also been suggested in the past but did not work out.

Investigative program Uvda revealed five weeks ago that the idea had been raised during closed-door meetings when all the judges and lawyers were dealing with the acceptability of certain materials in the trials. Jacque Chen, the lead defense attorney for Bezeq and Walla owner Shaul Elovitch, who is being charged with bribery for allegedly offering positive news coverage of Netanyahu in exchange for regulatory favors that netted him hundreds of millions of shekels, made the suggestion.

Oded Shaham, one of the three sitting judges in the cases, asked the state to consider the proposal.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has to formulate the government’s formal legal opinion on the matter and give her answer to the court. Netanyahu’s attorneys have not rejected the idea out of hand, saying they would study the proposition once it has been made.

The whole process would probably prevent the continuation of the combined trials for several months, Peleg said.

These began almost exactly three years ago, and the prime minister’s defense team has managed to poke holes in several of the most important prosecution witnesses’ testimonies. However, many damaging statements have still been made and there is a long way to go, even if the two sides agreed a few months ago to reduce the number of witnesses significantly to speed up the trials.

Peleg added his own opinion that if Netanyahu does agree to a deal, “the amended indictment will be drafted in such a manner that will enable Netanyahu to say in interviews in his sly way that ‘for such minor things, they pursued me for such a long time.’”

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“The Flag March symbolizes the reunification of Jerusalem and Israeli sovereignty, and it needs to be able to pass through the Muslim Quarter on its way to the Western Wall,” says head of Zionist NGO.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Despite rocket fire on Israel’s southern communities and a major uptick in terror attacks, a celebratory march through Jerusalem’s Muslim Quarter is expected to take place along its usual route, several Hebrew-language news outlets reported.

The annual Flag March occurs on Jerusalem Day, a holiday commemorating the reunification of Israel’s capital city after the Six Day War in 1967.

Participants in the event sing patriotic songs while dancing and waving Israeli flags, with part of the march’s route winding through a Muslim neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Left-wing politicians and terror groups have argued that waving Israeli flags in the neighborhood constitutes a provocation and exacerbates tensions.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly told his office that this year, the march will take place along its traditional route, despite an increase in terror in recent weeks.

Maor Tzemach, CEO of the NGO Your Jerusalem, told World Israel News that he welcomes the decision to allow marchers to take the traditional route.

“Jerusalem, as a united city under Israeli sovereignty, needs to permit freedom of movement and worship, and therefore needs to allow Jews to move freely and safely throughout the city,” Tzemach told WIN.

“Of course, the Flag March symbolizes the reunification of Jerusalem and Israeli sovereignty, and it needs to be able to pass through the Muslim Quarter on its way to the Western Wall.”

In May 2021, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu caved to threats and forced marchers to take a route that excluded the Muslim Quarter.

Despite the concession, terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at Jerusalem, disrupting the march and sparking the Operation Guardian of the Walls clash.

This year, under pressure from his coalition partners, Netanyahu is expected to permit the event to take place normally.

However, according to a recent Times of Israel report, the Biden administration may be working behind the scenes to convince Netanyahu to change the parade’s route.

The post Jerusalem Flag March to proceed as normal, via Muslim Quarter – report appeared first on World Israel News.

Protesting transfer of Jordanian MP who tried to smuggle guns into Israel and release of terrorists’ bodies, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir boycotts Cabinet meeting.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the two other ministers from his Otzma Yehudit party boycotted Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, raising tensions within Israel’s governing coalition.

Ben-Gvir said it was in protest against Israel releasing Imad al-Adwan, a Jordanian lawmaker caught trying to smuggle weapons to Palestinians, and the return of the body of Palestinian terrorist Sharif Hassan Rabaa, both on Sunday morning. Rabaa was killed while trying to stab soldiers near Hebron.

The release of Rabaa’s body was approved by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Adwan was returned to Jordan amid heavy Jordanian pressure. Israel apparently received assurances from Amman that the 35-year-old parliamentarian would be prosecuted and serve out a prison term in Jordan.

On Wednesday, Ben-Gvir also threatened to boycott Knesset votes over what he said was the government’s “weak response” to Palestinian terror groups firing rockets following the death of Khader Adnan, a senior figure in Palestinian Islamic Jihad who had been on a hunger strike.

Explaining the boycott, Ben-Gvir said on Sunday, “In the last few days, the prime minister and defense minister continue their policy, the release of the Jordanian terrorist, the release of the bodies of terrorists, etc. This is unacceptable to us and cannot continue like this. The policy must change, the government must switch to a completely right-wing policy. We received a mandate from the public to change direction – and that must happen.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not acknowledge the boycott in his public remarks at the beginning of the Cabinet session.

Joining the Cabinet boycott were Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, and Development of the Negev and Galilee and National Resilience Minister, Yitzhak Wasserlauf.

Ben-Gvir instead visited the Israel Police’s National Counter Terrorism Unit.

Israel often holds the bodies of Palestinian terrorists to deter celebratory and inciting funerals, and to hold them as bargaining chips for Israelis held by Palestinians. Hamas has been holding Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed in Gaza since 2014 and 2015 respectively. Hamas also holds the bodies of Israeli soldiers Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who were both killed on August 1, 2014 while fighting in Gaza.

The Otzma Yehudit party has six seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Should the boycott continue, the governing coalition will have a slim 58-56 parliamentary majority.

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Dual Iranian-Swedish national executed in Iran, after being convicted by local court of masterminding attack on military parade.

By The Associated Press

Iran executed an Iranian-Swedish dual national Saturday accused of masterminding a 2018 attack on a military parade that killed at least 25 people, one of several enemies of Tehran seized abroad in recent years amid tensions with the West.

Farajollah Cha’ab, also known as Habib Asyoud, had been a leader of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, an Arab separatist movement that has conducted oil pipeline bombings and other attacks in Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province. That group had claimed the 2018 attack in its immediate aftermath.

Cha’ab’s execution comes as a Swedish court last year sentenced an Iranian to life in prison over his part in the 1988 mass executions in Iran at the end of its war with Iraq. Tehran, which has used prisoners as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West, reacted angrily to that sentence. Meanwhile, tensions also remain high between Iran and the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program as well — and at least one more prisoner with Western ties faces a possible execution.

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency confirmed Cha’ab’s execution by hanging in a lengthy statement. It identified him as the leader of the militant group and alleged without providing evidence that he had ties to Swedish, Israelis and U.S. intelligence services. It accused his group of killing or wounding 450 people over the years, including multiple attacks on government offices and other sites.

It also included state television interviews with Cha’ab, a feature of many Iranian trials that activists long have described as coerced confessions.

It also clearly identified Iranian intelligence officers as being behind Cha’ab’s abduction, saying that its “unknown soldiers” captured him in Turkey in November 2019. Iran has used similar ruses to capture its enemies abroad, including the exiled journalist Ruhollah Zam who was executed in 2020.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned Cha’ab’s execution.

“The death penalty is an inhumane and irrevocable punishment, and Sweden, together with the rest of the (European Union), condemns its use under all circumstances,” he said in a statement.

Sweden’s Nordic neighbors Finland and Norway also strongly condemned the execution, underlying their stance against the death penalty. “I am appalled,” said Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights separately condemned the execution, referring to Cha’ab’s closed-door trial as “grossly unfair.”

“This is an example of the Islamic Republic’s state terrorism,” said Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the group’s director. “We expect that the EU and Swedish government show adequate reaction to the murder of their citizen. Killing a hostage must not be tolerated.”

Tensions already had escalated between Iran and Sweden over the life imprisonment of Hamid Noury, an Iranian convicted in Sweden of committing grave war crimes and murder during the final phase of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The end of the war saw mass executions of an estimated 5,000 Iranian prisoners, including those from an exiled opposition group and others.

The 2018 attack in Iran targeted a military parade in Ahvaz in Khuzestan, the chaos captured live on state television. Militants disguised as soldiers opened fire, killing at least 25 people and wounding over 60 others in the deadliest attack to strike Iran in years. A spokesman for the separatist group claimed the assault shortly after in a televised interview. The Islamic State group also claimed the attack, though it offered factually incorrect details about the assault.

In recent months, Iran has carried out other executions after the months of unrest over the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the country’s morality police. In January, Iran executed a former high-ranking defense ministry official and dual Iranian-British national accused of spying.

Also facing a possible execution is an Iranian-German national who lived in California, a man Iran describes as planning a 2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200 others, as well as other assaults through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran and its Tondar militant wing. His family long has said he was captured by Iranian intelligence in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

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Imad Al-Adwan was caught trying to bring in over 200 guns and nearly 100 kg. of gold through the Allenby Bridge crossing.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israel freed Jordanian parliamentarian Imad Al-Adwan Sunday morning after catching him trying to smuggle in hundreds of weapons, gold and ammunition to terrorist groups through the Allenby Bridge crossing from his country two weeks ago.

Jordan brought heavy diplomatic pressure to bear on Jerusalem, and the government agreed to let him go after Amman signed on to prosecute the legislator locally, even promising that he would be dealt with “harshly.”

Following his arrest, Jordanian security detained several of Al-Adwan’s alleged accomplices in the kingdom, who were linked to the smuggling attempt. Israeli forces also arrested a number of suspected colleagues in Judea and Samaria.

Al-Adwan, 35, is a member of the Palestine Committee in Jordan’s parliament and has often made public statements in support of terrorist acts against Israel.

Although diplomats as a rule do not have their bags examined checked when they enter a country, Israeli customs officers at the crossing had received an intelligence tip and searched Al-Adwan’s luggage. They reportedly found almost 200 handguns, 12 rifles, bullet clips and nearly 100 kg of gold that were meant for Palestinian terrorist groups in Judea and Samaria.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed the move, saying, “The decision to release the terrorist who tried to bring here hundreds of weapons that will be used for terrorist attacks and acts of crime in the heart of the State of Israel is a strategic and moral mistake.”

“This diplomat should have been in prison for many years and not be released,” he added.

The leader of the right-wing party said that the entire Cabinet should have voted on the decision, and that the “weakness” of this government in the face of terrorism is showing again.

An Israeli security source told Ynet that “The suspect was not freed; the Israeli part of his investigation has been completed and he is being transferred to the custody of the Jordanian security officials, who are continuing the investigation.”

“He will be tried,” the source added, but the rest of the “threads” of the investigation are in Jordan and Israeli security has no access to them, so the decision was made to make it a “cooperative effort.”

The Arab MP revealed during his interrogation that this was not the first time he had snuck illicit goods over the border in the last year. Besides weapons and gold, these included valued civilian items like electronic cigarettes, and pigeons, a low-tech method Palestinian terrorists have used to carry messages that are harder to intercept than phone calls or Whatsapps.

It was not necessarily his anti-Israel ideology that motivated him, as he admitted that he had received large sums of money for his efforts. When he was arrested, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen had called it “a very serious incident” but sought to downplay it as just a criminal case, telling Ynet that he “does not want to place the blame on the entire [Jordanian] government or the entire parliament.”

Jerusalem has had an uneasy relationship with Amman ever since the current government took office late last year, with King Abdullah making some very harsh statements against Israeli counter-terror operations. The release of Al-Adwan into Jordanian custody is commonly seen as an attempt to bring the relationship back to a more even keel.

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Last week, supporters of Dutch soccer team chanted “Hamas, Hamas, all the Jews to the gas.”

By World Israel News Staff

Some 154 soccer fans were arrested by police in The Netherlands late Saturday evening after singing an antisemitic soccer song, including lyrics referencing the burning of Jews and the Nazi party’s military branch, the SS.

The fans were reportedly riding the subway en route to the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam ahead of a game, and began singing the antisemitic anthem.

“My father was in the commandos, my mother was in the SS, together they burned Jews because Jews burn the best,” the fans sang.

In a statement, Dutch police said that “supporters were asked several times to stop singing,” but refused to do so.

Authorities arrested the men on “group insult” charges and fined them each $570.

The detained men were fans of the AZ Alkmaar soccer club, which was facing off against Amsterdam’s Ajax, a team which has been historically associated with Jews.

“The Central Jewish Committee is satisfied with the decision to intervene and tackle antisemitism one step at a time,” said the head of the local Jewish advocacy group, Chanan Hertzberger, in a statement to Dutch media.

The match between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar ended in a goalless, 0-0 draw.

Notably, just a few days before that match, there was antisemitic chanting at a previous game between Ajax and Feyenoord.

At that game, which took place on April 5th, a supporter of Feyenoord yelled “Hamas, Hamas, all the Jews to the gas,” outside of the stadium.

Other Feyenoord fans cheered and repeated the chant.

Naomi Mestrom, the director of Dutch-Jewish NGO CIDI, told RTL News that the incident made her feel “despondent.”

Mestrom said that antisemitic chant was “downright Jew-hatred,” emphasizing that her organization would help authorities identify the man who started the chanting.

“We are going to press charges against the person who held the microphone,” she said.

“I think there are excellent images [of the man]. And if Feyenoord believes they no longer want this kind of thing, they will also cooperate [with the investigation].”

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Hamza Hariush and Samer Shafi were killed during an exchange of fire with Israeli forces during which an Israeli citizen was injured and vehicles were damaged, according to the IDF.

By JNS

Israeli forces on Saturday killed two terrorists who were involved in a shooting near the town of Avnei Hefetz in Samaria on May 2.

The terrorists, identified as Hamza Hariush and Samer Shafi, were killed during an exchange of fire during which an Israeli citizen was injured and vehicles were damaged, according to the Israeli military.

Searches of the building where the suspects were hiding uncovered ammunition and two M-16 rifles, military vests and gun magazines.

Two additional terror suspects were arrested in connection with the May 2 attack, both residents of Tulkarm, according to the military. One of the suspects was wounded while attempting to escape.

The two suspects were transferred to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) for questioning.

On Thursday, Israeli forces killed the Palestinian terrorists who last month murdered three members of the Dee family in the Jordan Valley. Lucy Dee, 48, and daughters Maia, 20, and Rina, 15, were killed in an April 7 shooting on the Route 57 highway near the Hamra Junction.

The terrorists, identified as Hamas members Hassan Katnani and Muad Masri, were shot dead in an exchange of fire after Israeli forces surrounded their hideout in Nablus’s Kasbah (Old City). Ibrahim Hura, identified by the IDF as a collaborator with the Hamas terrorists, was also killed in the raid, the military said.

“This morning, the IDF, the ISA and the National Counter-Terrorism Unit took action in the Old City of Nablus, in daylight. They settled accounts with the murderers of Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee; may their memories be for a blessing. They confronted these murderers and eliminated them,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There is a message here that needs to be understood: In recent months, we have eliminated or captured 110 terrorists; most of them were eliminated. Our message to the murderers, to whoever attacks us or tries to attack us is: We will find you. You can hide, you can try to hide, but it will not help. The long arm of the State of Israel will find you,” declared the prime minister.

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