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Bereaved husband and father who lost his wife and daughters in terror attack last month praises IDF for killing of the terrorists, adds he hoped to ask the terrorists or their families why they murdered his loved ones.

By World Israel News Staff

The bereaved husband and father of three British-Israeli women who were murdered by Arab terrorists last month praised Israeli security forces after they killed the two Hamas terrorists responsible for the murders.

Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife Lucy and daughters Maia and Rina were murdered in a drive-by shooting attack in the Jordan Valley last month, lauded Israeli security forces in a statement Thursday morning, while tying Tehran to the attack, noting Iran’s support for the Hamas terror organization.

“The kids and I were comforted to hear that the Israeli security forces have eliminated the Iranian-funded terrorists responsible for Lucy, Maia, and Rina’s murders. This has been done in a way that has not endangered the lives of Israeli soldiers, nor innocent Palestinian civilians – in a way that only the Israeli army knows how to do.”

Rabbi Dee added that he had asked officials from the Shin Bet security agency if it would be possible for him to speak with the terrorists’ families to ask them why their relatives committed the murders.

“Furthermore we have asked for the opportunity to speak with the terrorists’ families and ask what good they thought would come out of their actions and to hear their vision for a better world.” Rabbi Dee continued.

In an interview with Reshet Bet, Rabbi Dee added that had the terrorists been captured, he would have sought to ask them personally.

“If the terrorists would have been captured alive, I would have wanted to ask them why they did this. What was their vision for a better world? I asked the Shin Bet if I could speak with their families to ask them that question.”

Three terrorists were killed during a gun battle with Israeli troops in the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Shechem (Nablus) Thursday morning.

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, Israeli forces used a suicide drone to bomb the apartment where the terrorists were holed up.

Four other terrorists were reportedly wounded during the battle.

The dead terrorists include  Hassan Katnani and Ma’ad Masri, both members of Hamas who carried out last month’s deadly terror attack. The third terrorist, Ebrahim Hora, actively assisted the Katnani and Masri, the IDF said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the killing of the terrorists.

“This morning, we settled accounts with the murderers of Lucy, Maya and Rina Dee, may their memories be blessed,” Netanyahu said.

“Our message to those who harm us, and those who want to harm us, is that whether it takes a day, a week or a month – you can be certain that we will settle accounts with you. It does not matter where you try to hide – we will find you. Whoever attacks us will pay the price.”

“I would like to thank the security agencies and our brave soldiers who worked night and day to settle accounts with the murderers.”

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The EU supports Moldova’s dictatorial policies against the opposition and citizens alike.

Netanyahu reportedly reassures Democrat lawmakers that compromise on judicial reform near, says that most controversial aspects of the legislation – such as the Override Clause – have been dropped.

By Adina Katz, World Israel News

A group of Democratic lawmakers told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that proposed changes to Israel’s judicial system are damaging the left-wing party’s ability to defend Israel to their constituents, according to an Axios report.

In late April, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) and other Democrat leaders met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem. During the visit, Democratic lawmakers reportedly warned the premier that the legislation is impacting Israel’s image in the eyes of American left-wing and liberal voters.

“They told Netanyahu it is very difficult for them to defend Israel under such circumstances, and their message was: help us help you,” a source, who was present at the meeting, told Axios.

“I can confirm that this very message was shared with Netanyahu by the delegation and, in particular, by each of the Jewish members at the table,” one of the Democratic lawmakers who attended the meeting told the outlet.

But the politician stressed that the meeting wasn’t all negative, as the lawmakers shared with Netanyahu an “equally warm sentiment on the occasion of Israel’s 75th anniversary and our unique and enduring friendship.”

Netanyahu reportedly reassured the lawmakers by saying that a compromise regarding the judicial reform is on the horizon, and said that the controversial override clause – which would allow the Knesset to overrule Supreme Court decisions with an absolute majority of 61 MKs – has been dropped from the agenda.

Both Netanyahu and Jeffries’ office decline to comment on the Axios report.

President Joe Biden has been openly critical about potential changes to the legal system, sparking backlash from lawmakers opposed to U.S. meddling in Israeli internal politics.

The Biden administration is reportedly financially supporting and working in collaboration with organizers of the anti-judicial reform protests.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin confirmed that Israel’s Left is working with the current American government, though the Biden administration has repeatedly denied that claim.

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United Torah Judaism party slams potential delay to blanket exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox men, warns that they will bring down government if legislation stalls.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, who leads the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, warned that the government will collapse if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not fulfill his promise to pass legislation granting blanket exemptions from military service to the community.

“The prime minister has received clear information from me: there is an order from the Council of Torah Elders that if the conscription law is not passed before the budget, we will withdraw from the government. As long as there is no other directive [from the Council], this is what will be done,” Goldknopf told Mishpacha Magazine.

Under the current draft laws, ultra-Orthodox Israeli males can defer mandatory army service on a yearly basis if they study in a yeshiva until age 26, at which point they are exempt from the draft.

As part of his coalition agreement with UTJ, Netanyahu pledged to lower the age of the exemptions to age 21, and create a new Basic Law which would ease the bureaucratic process for members of the community to skip military service.

Netanyahu had promised to pass the legislation before the deadline for the state budget to be ratified, which must occur before the end of May, but the premier has walked back that pledge and asked ultra-Orthodox party heads for a delay regarding the matter.

While the Shas party has tacitly accepted the proposal, UTJ has pushed back against the delay.

Last week, Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Heritage Minister Meir Porush of UTJ slammed Netanyahu during an interview with Kikar HaShabbat.

“If Netanyahu can’t pass the draft law now, he should go home,” he said. “Why did we go to elections? Why did we support the formation of this new government – to hear the same excuses from the Bennett-Lapid era?”

Porush continued blasting Netanyahu, saying that by not fulfilling his promise, the premier “looks ridiculous.” He stressed that UTJ “stands by our demands” outlined in the coalition agreement.

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Female Palestinian Arab terrorist shot and killed on the scene.

By JNS and World Israel News Staff

An Israeli man was lightly wounded in a Palestinian stabbing attack in the village of Huwara, near Nablus in Samaria, on Thursday.

The terrorist was shot dead at the scene.

Emergency first responders from Magen David Adom were dispatched to the scene of the attack.

In cooperation with an army medical team, the MDA first responders treated the victim before evacuating via ambulance.

The victim, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital fully conscious and in stable condition.

“When we arrived at the scene, we saw the wounded man sitting fully conscious and suffering from a penetrating injury to his body,” said MDA volunteer Moti Dahan. “We immediately gave him medical treatment and with the help of an IDF medical force, he was taken to the hospital.”

The Israeli military has recently upgraded the road infrastructure in Huwara to increase security for Israelis driving on Route 60, the highway that runs through the village.

It comes after a series of Palestinian terrorist attacks taking advantage of the congestion that slows down vehicles entering the area, including the murder of brothers Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaniv, 19—Israelis shot by a Palestinian terrorist as they sat in traffic on Feb. 26.

The number of lanes on Route 60 at Einabus Square was doubled, from two to four. The IDF also removed a traffic circle at Yitzhar Junction that had been built as a traffic safety measure. Both projects are aimed at increasing speeds through the terror-stronghold village until the completion of a bypass road.

Also, a large number of IDF personnel have been deployed to the area and 13 new defensive positions were built to discourage attacks and to reduce response times in the event they take place.

The IDF’s Samaria Brigade has also bolstered security inspections, including the deployment of additional checkpoint barriers.

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The rate of Palestinian attacks is alarming: “It’s a miracle that we’re not attending funerals every day,” said one resident.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israel is considering whether to initiate a sweeping anti-terror operation in Judea and Samaria due to the increasing rate of terror attacks in Samaria, Israel Hayom reported exclusively Thursday.

There is no agreement as yet on the matter, with the Shin Bet (Shabak) reportedly in favor of the policy change and the Defense Ministry and chief of staff as yet undecided.

Those backing the idea say that the ever-growing incitement in Palestinian areas to attack Jews could lead to a much greater number of deaths via terror attacks than a military operation.

The report added that the security apparatus is also weighing the possibility of increasing pre-emptive arrest operations of known terrorists and boosting the number of raids methodically, one quadrant at a time. Another idea is to help the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces do their job.

The PA is believed to have lost control of wide swathes of their territory, especially in the cities of Nablus (Shechem) and Jenin. Its forces largely disappear during IDF raids, angering many Palestinians, and its officials appear helpless against the tide of rising support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s extremist rhetoric, both against Israel and the government in Ramallah.

According to the report, the IDF had been preparing to launch such a large-scale operation early last year after a similar rise in terror attacks, but stopped when elections were called and a new government installed. The plans have reportedly now been pulled out of the drawer for another look.

Residents and officials of Judea and Samaria have been calling for months for serious action to restore Israeli deterrence in the region. While the media only publicize the relatively few attacks in which people are injured or killed, they feel in constant danger, especially on the roads.

“A sense of security? There’s no sense of security,” Dassi Hershler of the Samarian town of Nofim told Ynet Thursday. “We rely on the army, which is doing its job faithfully, but at least once a day there’s a moment of panic. Maybe they’ll throw a rock at me? Maybe the person who stopped at a light in front of me will pull out a gun?”

Yitzhar resident Tuvya Ariel charged that the government has deserted its citizens under a “wave of terror.”

“The terrorists roam the highways unhindered and it’s only because of one miracle after another that we’re not attending funerals every day. The government has to wake up before it’s too late,” he said.

Nati Rom of Esh Kodesh described how one night he saw an object on the road and swerved around it, but that the car behind him ran over it and it exploded. “That’s just a drop in the ocean” of what is occurring, he maintained.

“It wasn’t like this in the past, certainly not this often. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense are not keeping their promises” regarding security, he said.

At a demonstration Tuesday by residents of Avnei Hefetz, where a shooting attack took place that morning, Samarian Regional Council head Yossi Dagan addressed the government, saying, “We elected you, come to your senses already. The entire nation of Israel expects you to close the checkpoints immediately.

“We said blood would be spilled here when they opened the checkpoints, the writing was on the wall. We will never agree to be ducks on a shooting range and never accept that Jewish lives will be abandoned here.”

Dagan had challenged the coalition in February to “to uproot all sources of terrorism, and collect all weapons in Judea and Samaria.”

The post Israel considering major anti-terror operation in Judea and Samaria – report appeared first on World Israel News.

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After pausing during Knesset recess, anti-government demonstrators resume massive protests across Israel, including blocking major roads and highways.

By World Israel News Staff

Anti-judicial reform demonstrators staged dramatic protests across Israel on Thursday morning, piling mannequins meant to look like dead bodies in front of Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s home and blocking major intersections throughout the country.

The Brothers in Arms protest group, whose members consist of military veterans and reservists, placed a giant tarp splattered with fake blood and dummies resembling corpses, some of which were dismembered, in front of Ben-Gvir’s house in Kiryat Arba, Hebron.

“Three months, 78 dead, one guilty,” read banners outside of the home, which appeared to criticize spiking murder rates and seemed to blame Ben-Gvir for the phenomenon.

More than three quarters of the 78 killed since Ben-Gvir’s tenure began in December 2022 were members of Israel’s Arab community, and most murders in the sector remain unsolved due to witnesses being notoriously uncooperative with police.

“Several dozen demonstrators from the extreme left [working] on behalf of Ehud Barak came this morning to demonstrate at the entrance to my house,” the lawmaker responded on Twitter.

“The truth is…you will continue to shout and hate, we will continue to work for the people of Israel.”

Some one thousand protesters blocked the Kfar HaYarok interchange, north of Tel Aviv, with police arresting at least one demonstrator. The Rokach-Namir intersection in the city itself, near Tel Aviv University, was blocked to traffic by protesters.

Junctions and highways near the central Israeli cities of Herzliya and Rananana were also blocked by protesters, along with the Nahalal Junction in the north.

At HaBima Square in Tel Aviv, protesters poured white liquid into the site’s iconic fountains, holding signs reading “Yes, we’re crying over spilled milk.” Organizers at HaBima said they were protesting the soaring cost of living in Israel, and told Hebrew language media that lowering prices should be the government’s priority, rather than judicial reform.

Also at HaBima, some dozen protesters who claimed to be representing the high-tech industry staged giant dominoes that appeared to be close to tipping over, alongside banners that read “if high tech falls, we all fall.”

Protesters also set up a mock military recruitment office in the ultra-Orthodox enclave of Bnei Brak in reference to a proposed law which would grant blanket exemptions from IDF service to the community.

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