Daily Archives: June 15, 2014
Real but Painful Progress
A couple of very significant pieces of information have been uncovered in the extensive IDF/Shin Bet operation for the rescue of the three kidnapped students (emphasis added):
“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened Sunday morning’s cabinet meeting with dramatic revelation over the kidnapping of three Israeli yeshiva students, saying that the Islamist terrorist group Hamas is behind the kidnapping, and vowing ‘serious consequences.’
“This morning I can say what I was unable to say yesterday before the extensive wave of arrest of Hamas members in Judea and Samaria.
“’Those who perpetrated the abduction of our youths were members of Hamas – the same Hamas that Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] made a unity government with; this has severe repercussions…’
“According to Palestinian media outlets affiliated with Hamas, IDF forces have already raided hundreds of houses in Hevron, Jenin, Ramallah and other cities.
“Officials said that more than 80 Hamas members were arrested overnight as part of the investigation into the kidnapping. Those detained include members of the so-called ‘unity government’ between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
“At least one of the terrorists arrested by IDF forces was apparently Hassan Yousef, a senior Hamas official.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181724#.U51yTptZrIU
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Reports have it that two Palestinian Arabs from Hevron who are associated with Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, are being sought. They have been missing since Thursday.
I know that low level, i.e., grassroots, intelligence is being drawn upon to the maximum in this operation. The IDF and Shin Bet have intelligence sources in Arab communities, which are being tapped regarding information about anyone who has been inexplicably absent. I make the assumption that this is how information was acquired on the two who are being actively sought.
The wives of these men were detained and questioned as to the whereabouts of their husbands.
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Now, later in the day, additional information has been released (emphasis added):
“A senior IDF official told reporters Sunday afternoon that in the army’s estimation, the three kidnapped teenagers taken Thursday night by still-unidentified captors are still alive, and are being held somewhere in the Judean Hills.
“We are not acting blindly and without guidance,’ the official said. ‘The IDF is thoroughly familiar with Hamas’ infrastructure in Hevron. Those involved in the kidnappings were prisoners in Israeli institutions and were released,’ which gave Israeli authorities insights and information on their terror activities.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181734#.U52nTJtZrIU
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The IDF is in process of setting up a blockade of Hevron. No one is being let in or out of the city.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4530610,00.html
“A senior General Staff source said on Sunday that in terms of professionalism, the kidnapping is of the highest level. According to him, the IDF estimates that the abductees were not transferred to the Gaza Strip or to the Sinai, ‘but we are prepared for that option.’ He added that ‘we are employing all the special units and means to locate them.’”
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And so my friends, keep praying that this operation will be a success and the boys can be rescued alive!
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Hamas has labeled Netanyahu’s accusation “stupid” – a misdirected attempt to weaken the unity government.
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On the surface, there are reports of PA security cooperation with regard to the search for the boys. But I remain, with solid reason, completely mistrustful of Abbas’s intentions.
Fatah, Abbas’s own party, put out on their Facebook page an obscene cartoon representing the three Jewish students as rats:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=708851302484714&set=a.408417995861381.83523.408411429195371&type=1&theater
While Palestinian Media Watch has identified a vile cartoon celebrating the kidnapping that appeared in the Palestinian Authority’s daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida:
http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=11706
Never, ever, trust them.
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There ought to be severe repercussions, indeed, as our prime minister put it, in response to what is now being assumed is a Hamas kidnapping. And I do hope that Israeli action against Hamas in Gaza will be very severe. Doubly is this the case as rockets continue to be launched from Gaza during this time – a “drizzle,” as it is sometimes called, but even one is too much. We know where their headquarters are, and their leaders.
I hope even after this kidnapping issue is resolved, arrests of Hamas-affiliated persons in Judea and Samaria will be stepped up, as well, and that all perks will be denied Hamas members in our prisons. I want to see it made it made very difficult to impossible for Hamas to operate.
We are facing radical jihadists all around us. Standing strong, very very strong, is the only reasonable response.
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However, “ought to be” is the operative word here. There is often a wide gap between what should happen and what actually does happen.
Netanyahu said, in his statement this morning, that:
”Those same elements in the international community that said that the Palestinian agreement with Hamas would advance peace now see the true results of this union.”
My cynical response is, “Yea, sure.” The international community finds a way to ignore or rationalize all sorts of totally unacceptable Palestinian Arab behavior when it suits its own aims. This will be no different. Will the governments – including the US government – that had said they will “work with” the new unity government now refuse to do so? Please, do not hold your breath.
Unless I am missing something, there has been no condemnation of the kidnapping by Obama. Which is fairly incredible.
“Canada has firmly condemned last week’s Palestinian Authority terrorist kidnapping of three teenage boys but U.S. President Barack Obama has yet to say a word about the attack — even though one of the hostages is an American citizen.”
Kerry was heard from. He said he was very concerned for the students’ safety, which is not the same thing as condemning the kidnappers.
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One result of this incident that we can expect is a furious reluctance here in Israel to ever again releasing terrorists from our prisons in any sort of deal. If the evidence for not doing this was not strong enough before, it stares us in the face now.
Today Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman made a statement on Army Radio:
“There will be no releases for those Palestinian terrorists sitting in Israeli prisons – not as a ‘gesture’ and not for any other reason.”
While Tourism Minister Uzi Landau declared, “We must use an iron fist against these terrorists and not provide them with rewards for kidnapping Israelis.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181737#.U53FIptZrIU
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The most incredible statement released today came from Jonathan Pollard, who is in abysmal health and is denied clemency by Obama. It said:
”In the depths of Gehinom [roughly, hell], Jonathan Pollard is davening [praying] for the safe return of our 3 boys who were kidnapped on Thursday by a blood-thirsty Palestinian terrorist cell. Jonathan urges everyone to drop what you are doing and to pray urgently for the immediate rescue and safe return home of our kidnapped boys, alive, healthy and unharmed.”
http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Pollard-asks-to-pray-for-kidnapped-teens-359362

Credit: AP
Amen v’amen! After the boys are brought home safe, let us direct our prayers to the release of Jonathan Pollard.
National Anguish
Motzei Shabbat (after Shabbat)
And fear. And fury. And a terrible sense of déjà vu.
Late Thursday evening, three boys disappeared.
They are Eyal Yifrach 19, Naftali Frenkel, 16, and Gilad Sha’ar, 16.

At this point in time, it’s impossible to piece together full information, especially as some details are being withheld. Two are students in Makor Chaim yeshiva high school in Kfar Etzion, which is in Gush Etzion, and the third is a student in Shavei Hevron yeshiva in Hevron. It is being reported that Naftali Frenkel has American citizenship as well as Israeli – which should be of interested to US authorities. All three, I am assuming, were headed out from their residential places of study for Shabbat.
To the best of my understanding, they were last seen before midnight Thursday at a junction in Gush Etzion frequently used by hitchhikers. Hitchhiking is not an uncommon practice in Israel. They were picked up – that much is clear. One of the boys sent an emergency message via his cell phone before it went dead; signals from all three of the boys’ phones were cut off.
It is believed that they wanted to head to the Jerusalem area, but were brought into the area of Hevron. An incinerated stolen car was found in the Hevron area; there is suspicion that this may have been the car that was used for picking up the boys.
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Tonight Prime Minister Netanyahu, after meeting with key security personnel, made a clear and unequivocal statement: “Our boys were kidnapped by a terrorist organization. There is no doubt about that.”
He said that this is the result of the Fatah-Hamas unity government, and that he held the Palestinian government responsible.
While he did not – certainly would not – elaborate, it is clear that authorities are factoring into their considerations recent demands for the release of Palestinian Arabs from Israeli prisons, and calls by Palestinian Arabs to kidnap Israelis in order to secure prisoners’ release in trade. I reported very recently on multiple plots that had been hatched by Arabs in prison, calling upon associates on the outside to carry out such kidnappings.
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Abbas, speaking for the PA, not only denied any involvement, he offered to be of assistance. What else could he say at this juncture? But we can see how the PA assists:
”Fatah and Hamas activists on Saturday called on Palestinian shopkeepers and businessmen in Hebron to destroy any CCTV footage that could be used by the IDF to locate the three missing yeshiva students.
“The activists posted their call on social media networking, especially Facebook and Twitter, after IDF soldiers reportedly confiscated some security cameras from a number of businesses and homes in Hebron as part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the students.
“Eyewitnesses said that Fatah activists in Hebron confiscated some security cameras to prevent the IDF from laying its hands on them.” (Emphasis added)
In Gaza, people celebrated the kidnappings by handing out candy. Hamas criticized Abbas for his offer to help.
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There is a massive police and IDF search for the boys underway in both the Gush Etzion area and the Hevron area. It has been in operation for many hours, and is expected to go on for some time. There seems to be some concern about the boys being smuggled into Jordan or elsewhere, and so roadblocks have been set up. As well, people are being taken into custody and questioned intensively. This is a process that, hopefully, will ultimately shed light on the situation: someone who is interrogated mentions a name, that person is brought in and interrogated….
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In synagogues all over Israel, tehillim (psalms) were said for the boys today. Tonight there was a prayer service for them at the Kotel and elsewhere.
Wherever you are, I ask that you also pray for them:
Eyal ben Iris Teshura
Ya’akov Nafatali ben Rachel Devorah
Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim
Iraq Unrest Is Shaking Up DC & Wall Street – Allen West
Hat Tip: BB
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Obama’s Spankability
By: Gerald Loeffers
Well, well… I see something down the road that Obama and others at the White House are unprepared for. With so many exploding logs on the fire, the people within his own party and the media darlings who have supported him without question are sooner rather than later going to start turning on him and start spanking him something fierce for the VA scandal, the IRS scandal, the Prisoner swap, IRAQ being over run by something worse then al Qaeda, Vets honor being called into question, drones, his kill list, imprisoned reporters, spying on congress and the border problem.
When the blow back happens, watch out! You’re going to see the spoiled brat syndrome kick in and a president who isn’t ready for criticism from his own party and certainly not from the rank and file media outlets. Let me tell you something… this is going to be an ugly bloodbath, full contact sport that the Obama White House and Obama himself will not be ready for. I mean really? How dare small men question their self-appointed god. His new press spokesperson will be grabbing for straws when this happens and he is going to look very weak and he will be fumbling for the right words to speak.
The first lady is going to have a b#*ch fit from hell like the American people have never seen or heard of and more than likely, the full story won’t be heard about until an “insider” book comes out years later. He has been groomed to feel superior to all others and this blow back will not be received kindly or be taken with grain of salt — not the BS line he was taught.
He has lost touch with the people and the very vets he commands and the inner workings of the Democratic Party are slowly turning on him. Even the hard core left is starting to perk their ears up and smell blood in the water. I have seen two or three professional journalists who have quit on the air and walked off the job because of the spoon fed BS they themselves are tired of spewing out. These same reporters have watched one of their own go to jail and be harassed by the Feds for speaking out and telling the truth. You watch as even some in Hollywood are risking not working again in order to speak their mind with a different opinion.
We are going to see within this year, the really ugly and evil, angry side of Obama… like we have never seen before, but knew was under the surface, being kept in check. We are going to hear the blaming of others and there will be no personal responsibility taken for any of his own actions on anything he has done. But we will see plenty of whining taking place aimed at us, the dumb American people, for not letting his policies have the right amount of time to “work” and how dare we study his personal history and not trust what he says! How could we do that to him??????? Uhm, it’s the Constitution stupid!