Three right-wing activists to be charged over surveillance

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

01/04/2012 13:14

    
Three right-wing activists arrested last month in Jerusalem on suspicion of illegally carrying out surveillance on security forces in the West Bank will be charged in the coming days, police said.

Police said the suspects passed on classified information with a view to creating disturbances.

On Tuesday, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended the custody of five right-wing suspects who police said were involved in the vandalism raid on the Ephraim military base in the West Bank last month.

http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=252155

Israeli campaign: Ariel Sharon's stroke was 'curse of Gaza disengagement'

Published 01:35 22.12.11     Latest update 01:35 22.12.11


Extreme right-wing religious party, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, launching campaign, saying they seek to warn current government against evacuating settlements.

By Ophir Bar-Zohar

Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke in January 2006 came about because of his role in disengagement from Gaza, according to a campaign to be launched on December 31 by an extreme right-wing religious party, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu. 

The campaign, also sponsored by the organization Hamateh Lehatzalat Ha'am Hayehudi, is to be launched on the sixth anniversary of Sharon's stroke according to the Hebrew calendar. It will hang posters in synagogues and publish advertisements in the party's pamphlet, also called Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, using quotes by Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef about the causes of Sharon's condition. 

	Ariel Sharon
	Photo by: Eyal Warshavsky/BauBau

In so doing, the group says it seeks to warn the current government against evacuating settlements.

One of Yosef's quotes about Sharon states: "How cruel is this evil man, for doing things like this ... God will strike him so he will never rise again."

Yosef also said: "And those who carry out his bidding - their time will come."

Eretz Yisrael Shelanu's chairman, Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, said: "The campaign is a warning to politicians and the prime minister not to be dragged into adventures like Sharon was. The price they will pay will be too heavy to bear."

The director general of the movement, Shai Gefen, says the campaign is not against Sharon. "This is about learning lessons. We wish everyone strong health and see it as our duty to warn the leaders that those who harm the land of Israel may be harmed. It's a fact that all the leaders of the disengagement - the police commissioner, the chief of staff, senior ministers, the president, [former Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert ... the curse of disengagement struck them all."

When asked whether such a campaign might hurt the Sharon family's feelings, Gefen said, "Sharon hurt the feelings of thousands of families that, to this day, are sitting in prefabricated homes. People went into mental hospitals, families collapsed, people in the south were hit by missiles because of what Sharon did."

Shas MK Nissim Zeev said his party was disgusted by the campaign, noting: "This is a cynical, even evil, use of Ariel Sharon's condition on his deathbed. He is sick and we all pray for his recovery, including Rabbi Ovadia. After all, Sharon was a hero and sacrificed himself for the people of Israel."

In the last elections, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu joined the National Union list. Its representative in the National Union Knesset faction is Michael Ben Ari.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-campaign-ariel-sharon-s-stroke-was-curse-of-gaza-disengagement-1.402829

Dozens of rightists break into IDF base in West Bank, wound officer

 Published 06:23 13.12.11 Latest update 10:00 13.12.11

Some 50 right-wing activists throw rocks, burn tires, and vandalize military vehicles; no one arrested in incident; earlier, right-wing activists arrested on Jordan border.

By Anshel Pfeffer

Some 50 settlers and right-wing activists entered a key West Bank military base early Tuesday morning and threw rocks, burned tires, and vandalized military vehicles. 

The settlers were acting in response to a rumor that the IDF would act to evict a West Bank settlement in accordance with an August Supreme Court ruling. 

	Settlers near the outpost of Givat Menachem, 2010.
	Photo by: Haggai Ofen

In the attack on the Efraim Regional Brigade's base near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, right-wing activists threw stones at region's brigade commander and his deputy after forcefully opening the door to their jeep. The brigade commander was lightly wounded after a stone hit his head. 

In addition to the attack on the IDF base, right-wing activists blocked a main West Bank road and threw stones at passing Palestinian vehicles and IDF soldiers in the area. 

Around 100 right-wing activists and settlers came to the area of the base before 50 of them enetered the base, according to the IDF spokesman. 

The youths were repelled by security forces. No arrests were made. 

Earlier during the night, the IDF and police rushed to the otherwise quiet border with Jordan after a group of 17 right-wing activists, three of them minors, occupied structures near the border. The activists said the action was intended as a message to Jordanian authorities to keep out of Temple Mount affairs. 

The IDF and police surrounded the activists, who were hilltop youth, and prepared to evacuate. Four other activists were arrested before joining the group on the border. 

The activists seized abandoned churches near the Qasr al-Yahud holy site, which is the believed site of Jesus' baptism. 

The activists, accompanied by television crews, cut their way through a fence that used to protect a minefield surrounding the area, before it was cleared by Israeli security forces. The activists danced near the structures, entered one of the churches and chanted songs. They were all arrested. 

In another incident overnight Tuesday, a group of five Breslov entered Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank to pray without permission. Palestinian security forces opened fire, but no one was hurt.   
A similar incident took place in September,  when unknown perpetrators infiltrated a base in the Binyamin region and snuck their way to a mechanics workshop on site, where they slashed the tires and cut the cables of twelve army vehicles. 

The settlers were galvanized into action by rumors that the eviction of several West Bank settlements was imminent. The Supreme Court ruled in September that the state must destroy Migron, the largest outpost in the West Bank. Forty-five families live in Migron, which has a total population of 280 people. 

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/dozens-of-rightists-break-into-idf-base-in-west-bank-wound-officer-1.401138

Netanyahu: All lines were crossed when Israeli citizens attacked IDF soldiers

Published 20:37 13.12.11 Latest update 20:37 13.12.11

PM says will use 'all of his power' to stem violence by right-wing extremists; Livni: Government shares responsibility for attack on IDF base.

By Ophir Bar-Zohar and Haaretz

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack by right-wing extremists on an IDF base in the West Bank has "crossed all the lines," and that he intends to establish a special task force to tackle the growing phenomenon. 

"I intend to fight with all my power as the prime minister of Israel," he said. "I met today with the head of the Shin Bet security service, the chief of police and the IDF chief of staff, and I've asked the defense minister to prepare this week a plan to take care of the rioters." 

	Benjamin Netanyahu speaking during the weekly cabinet meeting in the northern town of Safed October 30, 2011.
	Photo by: Reuters

Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu said the situation is "intolerable," adding that "we must take care of these rioters with a firm hand. We will not tolerate a situation in which IDF officers and soldiers are attacked and distracted from protecting Israeli citizens."

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni (Kadima) harshly condemned the attack on Tuesday, adding that anyone who commits acts of violence against IDF soldiers does so due to the current climate in the Knesset.

In a statement, Livni claimed that the current government is “partner” to a wave of legislation that must be stopped, and that the latest incidents of right-wing violence are not random, but rather constitute a “struggle over Zionism and over the character of Israel.
”
Livni also spoke directly to Netanyahu, saying that the prime minister treats the incidents as matters of law enforcement rather than ideology, because “he feels uncomfortable confronting his natural allies.”

Early Tuesday morning, some 50 settlers and right-wing activists entered a West Bank military base and threw rocks, burned tires, and vandalized military vehicles. An IDF officer was lightly wounded as a result of the rock-throwing.

In addition to the attack on the IDF base, right-wing activists blocked a main West Bank road and threw stones at passing Palestinian vehicles and IDF soldiers in the area.

Around 100 right-wing activists and settlers came to the area of the base before 50 of them entered the base, according to the IDF spokesman. The youths were repelled by security forces. No arrests were made.
 

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-all-lines-were-crossed-when-israeli-citizens-attacked-idf-soldiers-1.401231

Right-wing activist calls on IDF soldiers to sabotage equipment

 Published 18:22 13.12.11 Latest update 18:22 13.12.11

Yitzhar resident 'warns' soldiers not to take certain actions that may prevent evacuations, such as spreading nails on roads or damaging engines.

By Chaim Levinson

A day after settlers attacked a West Bank IDF base, one of Yitzhar settlement's most prominent residents, Boaz Albert, published a "personal letter" to IDF soldiers calling on them to sabotage the army's equipment and prevent evacuations. 

The letter, published on "The Jewish Voice" website, ironically warns soldiers not to take certain measures against the army, but in effect provides them with practical advice aimed at preventing evacuations and house demolitions. 

	Israeli soldiers clashing with settlers barricaded in a synagogue in the West Bank city of Jericho on February 21, 2009.
	Photo by: Reuters

"There are certain points that... will ensure your unit's operational capability to carry out the essential task of demolishing houses," Albert wrote. 

"Dozens of vehicles move through your base every day," he writes. "You must take care that their wheels don't get accidentally damaged by sharp tools… It is important that the roads be clear of screws and nails." 

According to the letter, "every vehicle has a 'switch' that is essential for its operation. It is very important that toothpicks or wooden chips do not get stuck in the switch, and glue must not be poured on it." 

Albert goes on to "warn" against sabotaging communications system or the vehicles' engines, and advises that graffiti against commanders may hurt the soldiers' morale. He also calls for meticulous documentation of incidents. 

"I am sure you can find other points that will… increase the chances of the essential mission of house demolitions, and make you feel whole with yourself for your important contribution to nation-building and building this country. Good luck." 

On Monday night, some 50 settlers and right-wing activists entered a key West Bank military base and threw rocks, burned tires, and vandalized military vehicles. 

The settlers were acting in response to a rumor that the IDF would act to evict a West Bank settlement in accordance with an August Supreme Court ruling.
 

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/right-wing-activist-calls-on-idf-soldiers-to-sabotage-equipment-1.401226

Israel Police scrambles to stop mosque arsonists from striking again

 Published 02:44 14.12.11 Latest update 02:44 14.12.11

Team of some 30 police reviews all old files with even minor charges against extreme right-wingers, keeps them under surveillance.

By Chaim Levinson
Some 30 police personnel have been waging an all-out war against the extreme right-wing in an attempt to find the people responsible for setting fire to six mosques over the past two years. 

One member of the elite undercover unit of the police's serious crimes division has been busy for the past two months following a 17-year-old member of the settlers' so-called hilltop youth. 

	The mosque in the Galilee village of Tuba which was set alight October 2, 2011.
	Photo by: Yaron Kaminsky

The unit's investigators believed that the girl would lead them to the elusive arsonists who have been targeting mosques, but she did not. In the end, the surveillance led to a charge against the girl, who was indicted last week. 

According to the indictment, the girl, identified as H., neared the International Convention Center in Jerusalem and "passed a number of parked cars, among them a car with a police license plate. H. went three car-lengths beyond the police vehicle, returned to it, approached it and tried to pry out the front license plate. When she failed, she kicked the car and continued on her way." 


After the arson attack on a mosque at Tuba-Zangaria in the north, the police commissioner assigned a large team to the investigation. The central unit of the Judea and Samaria District, which had been in charge of the files, was sidelined. Investigators from the Shin Bet security service also took a step back 

In seeking new evidence, the team has been reviewing all the old files with even minor charges against extreme right-wingers and has kept them under surveillance, according to material submitted to the court. 

The extensive material caught by the army's cameras in the West Bank is also being examined in an attempt to find a lead. 

Also, three soldiers have been arrested by the Military Police, based on evidence provided by the Serious and International Crimes Unit. Still, the results have been meager and all requests for a remand until the end of proceedings were turned down. 

The first person arrested was Alex Ostrovsky, on suspicion of torching military vehicles at the headquarters of the Binyamin Brigade. The arrest was made based on fingerprints found on a bag of food inside the base. 

Next came the arrests of Israel Katz, Elkaha Pikar and another adult and a minor on suspicion of setting fire to the mosque in Beit Fajar near Bethlehem. Then, in November, Yaron Kalav and two minors were arrested on suspicion of torching the Beit Fajar mosque in October last year. 

On November 6, Hillel Liebowitz, Katz and a minor were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson. They had already been arrested in March on their way north after bottles of gasoline were found in their car. They said they had the gas in case their car ran out. 

The police reopened the case after a policeman said he had also seen matches in the car. The three were indicted but released, Last week six girls and one adult, Yisca Weiss, were arrested. Four were charged with "brawling" after they turned army equipment upside down in an area between the Arab village of Kusra and the settlement of Shiloh. 

Right-wing activists called the incident a "pajama party." Another woman, who was also tried for brawling, told a police investigator: "I know where you live." The court released her and issued a restraining order keeping her away from Kusra for 90 days. 

Weiss was charged with conspiring to destroy olive trees, based on evidence gathered from a wiretap, according to court records. Another minor arrested for damaging olive trees has already been released.
Last week a soldier in the Ordnance Corps at Binyamin Brigade headquarters was arrested on suspicion of taking part in the vandalization of the army vehicles. He is to remain in custody until Thursday. Three other soldiers have been cleared of all charges and released. 

"The Serious and International Crimes Unit investigators are good people, most of whose skills are directed at playing catch and hide and seek with children instead of rooting out real crime," Attorney Ariel Atari, representing some of the arrested youths, told Haaretz. 

Sources in the police's Judea and Samaria central unit say the new team is burning its intelligence bridges with arrests that lead nowhere. 

An officer reportedly said in a meeting to discuss new approaches that just as the police operated to bring the heads of crime families to justice, they would get the hilltop youth on minor charges to stop the mosque arson. 

The police said: "Over the past three months, four serious indictments have been served, including 14 people involved in nationalist crimes. Most of the suspects are minors, who by law are treated in a way that makes it easier on the suspect both during an investigation and frequently in judicial decisions. The police intend to continue to suppress nationalist crime in all legal means at its disposal."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-police-scrambles-to-stop-mosque-arsonists-from-striking-again-1.401261

Home of Israeli left-wing activist defaced in latest 'price tag' act

• Published 13:27 12.09.11
• Latest update 13:27 12.09.11

Right-wing activists thought responsible for graffiti proclaiming 'death to the traitors' and 'price tag Migron'; Peace Now urges government to take steps against 'new Jewish underground'.

By Oz Rosenberg

The home of a well-known left-wing activist in Jerusalem was defaced with graffiti proclaiming "death to the traitors" and "price tag Migron" on Sunday night, a move apparently carried out by rightists angry over the government's decision to demolish illegal structures in a West Bank settlement.

The activist whose home was vandalized, who requested not to be named, said she found the graffiti on Monday morning after informed by a neighbor.

	Price tag - Emil Salman - September 12, 2011

"We know there is someone who is making sure we are scared," she said. "I'm sure the police will handle this and I'm sure it will find those responsible."

The activist said that although this is the first time graffiti is sprayed on her home, she has received multiple emails and phone calls with the same messages, as have some of her colleagues.

The Peace Now movement responded by saying: "This is a serious incident that requires emergency steps against what seems like a new Jewish underground. The atmosphere of hate… is seeping from elements in the Knesset deep into Israeli society."

MK Eitan Cabel (Labor) decried the incident, which he said reflected a dangerous pattern. "These fanatics apparently feel there is someone who will protect them and their criminal acts, and it's not God."

On Sunday, two right-wing activists attacked four Arab employees of the Jerusalem municipality using tear gas. Police has yet to arrest any suspects. On Sunday evening, right-wing activists held a demonstration in from of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem to protest the demolition of three houses in the settlement of Migron earlier this month.

Last Wednesday, Israeli settlers in the West Bank vandalized an Israel Defense Forces base, carrying out a "price tag" operation against the army for the first time since adopting the policy in recent years.

Unknown perpetrators infiltrated a base in the Binyamin region and snuck their way to a mechanics workshop on site, where they slashed the tires and cut the cables of 12 army vehicles. 

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/home-of-israeli-left-wing-activist-defaced-in-latest-price-tag-act-1.383966