It’s Starting: Israeli Gov’t Issues Travel Warning to Turkey

The Israeli government today issued a travel warning to Turkey in response to demonstrations taking place around the Israeli Consultate in Istanbul and the Israeli Embassy in Ankara.

“This delicate state of affairs is liable to deteriorate into violent outbreaks against Israelis in Turkey,” warned the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau (NSCCTB) in a statement released Monday to the media. “Israelis due to leave for Turkey should — at this stage — refrain from traveling until the situation becomes clear. Israelis currently in Turkey should remain in their places of residence, avoid city centers and sites in which demonstrations are being held, and monitor developments out of concern that the situation could worsen,” the agency warned.

The protests were apparently ignited in response to the confrontation that ensued when a flotilla sponsored by so-called “peace activists” tried to challenge Israel’s sovereignty over Gaza’s coastal waters late Sunday night. 

In actuality, radical Muslim extremists were among those behind the attempt, as became obvious when Israeli Navy personnel attempted to redirect the vessels to the Ashdod port, where their "humanitarian aid" would have been off-loaded for legal delivery through the land crossings into Gaza.

The ships refused to stop, and a confrontation ensued, with Israeli soldiers being forced to board the vessels to take control -- a situation the organizers clearly had hoped for in order to provoke a conflict for media consumption. The so-called “peace activists” had stockpiled a cache of weapons, including guns, daggers, clubs and knives. At least one IDF soldiers was shot and critically wounded. A second was stabbed in the stomach.

Turkey provided material support to the organizers of the flotilla, a move that follows its recent tightening of relations with Iran and Syria in an apparent new alliance that builds on the already-firm axis between Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas.

This latest development forms an updated version of that military axis, which could signal a new threat to the Jewish State -- especially in light of the fact that up to this point Israel shared much of its military information and operations as well as other technological information with Turkey, formerly a close ally.

Assassination Attempt Fails to Kill Israeli Ambassador to Jordan

Terrorists failed in their attempt Thursday afternoon to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Jordan, Danny Nevo when they targeted an Israeli diplomatic convoy heading for the Allenby crossing. The ambassador was not in his car at the time of the bombing, nor was anyone else injured in the attack, according to a statement by Israel's foreign ministry.

IDF Army Radio reported the convoy was approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the crossing when the roadside bombs were detonated, both by remote control, as the cars passed. The timing was apparently just slightly off, enough to have missed seriously damaging the vehicles.

The convoy headed for a Jordanian army base following the attack. Authorities blocked roads and threw a dragnet around the area while soldiers conducted an intensive search for the perpetrators. Firefighters, police officers and a number of ambulances were also sent to the scene.

Both Jordanian and Israeli security personnel are investigating the incident. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Jordan is home to a large Palestinian population, most of whom vehemently oppose the Hashemite Kingdom's peaceful relations with its Jewish neighbor, despite the formal peace accord signed between the two countries in 1994. Egypt, the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel, preceded Jordan by venturing into the diplomatic arena some 20 years earlier.

According to an Israeli official who spoke with the AFP news agency in Amman by telephone, "The embassy convoy left Amman and was heading for the Hussein Bridge when the blast occurred." The diplomat was referring to the Allenby Bridge crossing that links Israel with Jordan, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Amman.

Jordanian officials issued a similar statement to Fox TV News. "An explosive device exploded on the side of the road leading to the Jordan Valley," said Jordanian Information Minister Nabil Sharif. "This happened as some civilian vehicles were passing by, including two Israeli diplomatic cars. There were no injuries, and authorities have launched an investigation."

It is not uncommon for Israeli personnel to head back across the border for the weekend, which in Jordan begins on Thursday evenings, (Friday is the Islamic Sabbath day), with the work week resuming on Sunday morning. The schedule is somewhat similar to that in Israel, where the weekend starts Friday afternoon -- the Jewish Sabbath begins Friday evening and ends Saturday after sunset. Israel's work week also resumes on Sunday.

Israel Warns of Al-Qaeda Kidnap Threat in Northern Africa

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Israeli government issued a concrete travel warning to its citizens Wednesday afternoon that the international al-Qaeda terrorist organization is intent on carrying out abductions, including against Israelis, in the Sahel countries in northern Africa.

“Information has been received that the organization intends to perpetrate attacks, especially abduction attacks, including against Israelis, in the various Sahel countries in Africa,” read he warning from the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau.

“Given this concrete threat, the NSC Counter-Terrorism Bureau recommends that Israelis avoid visiting or staying in the following countries/areas: Ivory Coast, Togo, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali and northern Nigeria (about which there already is a valid travel warning).”

The NSC Counter-Terrorism Bureau also requested that Israelis maintain telephone contact with their friends and relatives currently in the above-mentioned countries/areas and update them on their status regularly.

In its warning, the Bureau also pointed out that in the past two years al-Qaeda gangs have kidnapped Austrian, German and Canadian nationals. The terrorists also attempted to snatch four U.S. citizens, but failed.

The Sahel is a geographical and climatic region of Africa that stretches in a swathe across the north of the continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, south of the Sahara Desert and north of the Sudan.

Countries in the Sahel include Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal.

Gaza Rockets Bring a Changed Reality

I felt the first hint of a changed reality as the bus cruised its way toward Kiryat Gat last Tuesday evening. There had been a few rockets launched that way, and I wondered if perhaps I would finally be witness to the phenomenon. After all, there is a war on.

The bus was unusually empty, but I gave it little thought, and since I had not listened to the radio since ending my shift an hour earlier, I did not know that the first long-range missile had finally reached Be'er Sheva. In blissful ignorance I traveled to Jerusalem, had my meeting, and boarded the bus for the return ride at 11:00 pm none the wiser.

It wasn't until everyone was off the bus, and the driver was a few blocks from my house that he casually mentioned the attack on Be'er Sheva. He added that a rocket had also landed near Rahat, the largest Bedouin city in the nation.

I was stunned, but hid my shock. "So they finally did it, huh? NOTHING ever happens here in Arad. How BORING," I said with a grin. "Stupid, too. Suicidal, to hit the Bedouin. They don't forgive or forget, and revenge is for seven generations. These terrorists are going to end up BEGGING to enter our jails before it's over." Waving goodnight, I sauntered down the street.

In bed, I obsessed for hours trying to decide whether it had been an anomaly or if in fact it was the start of a new trend in rocket launches. Sleep eluded me, and after a two-hour nap, I faced the day with grainy eyes and a new cup of joe.

I dragged myself to the bus stop, since I had to go to the Tax Office – in Be'er Sheva. The latest news caught up with me as a fellow passenger tried to calm a friend down on the phone.

My questions didn't have long to wait. While I had struggled to rest, in the hour after dawn, the faceless terrorists who hated me so much had already gotten busy and fired another missile.

This time their aim was better; instead of hitting the schoolyard as they had the night before, the long-range Chinese-made Grad-type Katyusha missile had slammed into a ninth grade classroom.

Home Front Command had robbed the terrorists of their prey, however: the centrally-located Be'er Sheva high school was empty. The IDF had advised the city to cancel school and keep children home for the rest of the week.

The problem was that the siren wasn't working in most parts of the city – so people had no idea when or if there were rockets flying their way. Radio Darom (Southern Radio) ended up picking up the slack by becoming the platform for broadcasting the alert instead; but the 200,000 residents of the city were less than comforted.

The young lady sitting next to me on the bus was downright unhappy. Her boss, who lived in Jerusalem, had no idea what was going on and had insisted she open the store, which was located next to the Central Bus Station, a key target. She called him back and finally convinced him to turn on the news; once he heard that a school had been hit, he changed his tune quickly and told her to go home. She got off the bus long before we reached the city and headed back.

It was more than a little weird riding on the bus, in essence, a moving target. I became unnaturally aware of being exposed to the elements, completely at the mercy of any flying object. The bus driver seemed unperturbed, however. (I once heard that all the bus drivers in Israel were former IDF tank corps members – now I believe it.)

Since I began writing this post, former IDF tank corps members have since been called back to their vehicles and are now lined up and moving into Gaza.

I don't know if our bus driver is among them. But whoever they are, may G-d protect them from all harm and bring them all back safe to their families and to us here at home -- and yes, to their buses... sigh...

The Blood Sacrifice

Jerusalem had a grim reminder Thursday night that the Jewish blood sacrifice did not disappear with the destruction of the Holy Temples. It was a reminder that terrorism in Israel does not emanate only from Judea, Samaria and Gaza, a reminder that the Jewish blood sacrifice yet flows through the heart of the Holy Land.

The massacre of eight young Torah scholars and wounding of 11 others by a lone Arab gunman at the Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook was a nightmare from several different perspectives.

The scenes were horrific enough to prompt one of our editors at Israel National News (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/) to preface his report on the attack with the warning that his article contained graphic images. The option of reading the report without all those disturbing photos of blood-soaked tallis katans was made available through a special link.

The knowledge that a tip to police of an imminent attack on the capital was not enough to prevent it from happening is frightening because the comfortable thought that “forewarned is forearmed” has now been debunked.

This tragedy succeeded, because there were assumptions made by some of the authorities that the terrorist would come from outside the area of attack. Security checkpoints hastily placed in a tight ring around the city were wasted – because the terrorist came from within the circle.

It was an “inside job” in the truest sense.

The terrorist was a 25-year-old Israeli Arab citizen, complete with an Israeli ID card (teudat zehut), a resident of a neighborhood in the eastern section of the city, who had driven children and adults back and forth from schools in the city – including the Yeshiva. He was known and trusted. And therefore not suspect.

Many Palestinian Authority Arabs and Israeli Arabs work for and together with Jews in this country and there are still some Jews who have not yet learned to hate. Now the question is: which of their friends and workers can be trusted, truly?

Many relationships have been formed between Israel’s Arabs and Jews, some that have a basis in truth. But the problem is, it is impossible to know if or when the party will be over.

The vast majority of workers in Jerusalem’s hotels are Arabs who live in the eastern part of the city. There are many who work in hospitals around the capital as well, especially during the Sabbath when Torah law restricts Jews from performing certain actions.

Monit (taxi) drivers, bus drivers, workers in restaurants, open-air markets and building companies… Israeli Arabs in many ways are more integrated into Jewish society than one might realize.

This terrorist with the familiar face walked into the Yeshiva carrying a simple cardboard box. Anyone seeing him would have assumed that he was bringing supplies for the Rosh Chodesh Purim party scheduled for later that evening.

After all, he was not a stranger.

He knew that, and was confident that he would not be stopped. And he was right; no one checked the deadly contents of that box, which carried two guns and many clips of ammunition.

It was so easy.

Rabbonim who contend that Torah scholarship is as much a weapon to be used in war as a uniform and a gun found to their sorrow that the battleground has now indeed been brought to the study hall.

The terrorist killed five teenagers and three adults. He wounded 11 others, most of them teens as well. It’s enough, more than enough, but could have been so many more.

Had it not been for a part-time student armed with a gun, and a nearby resident who, as an IDF officer was trained to know the difference between Purim firecrackers and real gunshots, the attacker might well have murdered many others.

Thank G-d for the Jewish warriors who were as competent with a physical weapon as they are in Torah study.

This is Israel. The battleground for the Holy Land begins and ends in Jerusalem, the heart of the entire world, as it has for millennia.

The heart ached as we prepared for the imminent arrival of the Sabbath Queen. It bleeds for the stilled breath of those whose hearts beat no more. But battered as it is, the Jewish heart is steadfast and whole.

And although the bodies of eight young men now lie within the Land itself, the souls of those scholars will fight the battle on a different, more exalted level.

May they be strong advocates on behalf of our People as the Land embraces the discarded vessels that held their holy sparks.