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The Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, announced recently that it had successfully broken up a West Bank Hamas cell earlier this month.
According to the report, this seven-person cell was composed of Palestinians from Hebron and the Nablus area who were actively training for an attack on Israeli targets.
The cell was reportedly guided by Yahya Amer Muhammad Abu Saifan, a 26-year-old Hamas member from Gaza who is known for his recruitment of terrorists in the West Bank.
The Shin Bet’s announcement comes amid a period of heightened tensions as Israel’s security forces warn of a high risk of terrorism during the upcoming Jewish holidays.
In related news, clashes broke out Monday night in the West Bank city of Nablus as Palestinian security forces arrested a Hamas commander wanted by Israel for his role in previous terror attacks.
During the clashes, in which the PA forces used tear gas, gunfire and other crowd dispersal methods, Firas Yaish, a 53-year-old resident of Nablus, was shot dead and four others were injured.
Following the arrest, a general strike was declared in Nablus and local Palestinian terrorist factions declared that PA security forces would not be allowed to enter the city until they release the captured Hamas leader.
This recent operation by Palestinian security forces comes in the wake of Israeli claims that the Palestinian Authority has lost control over parts of the West Bank under its jurisdiction, including Nablus.
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In a meeting with American Jewish leaders earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he intends to visit Israel, although there are no official plans as of yet.
Erdogan, who is in New York for the upcoming UN General Assembly, also reportedly told those assembled that antisemitism is a “crime against humanity.”
Erdogan’s overtures towards Israel and the American Jewish community are part of Turkey’s warming diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, which have been frosty since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident and the 2018 withdrawal of Turkey’s ambassador following clashes in Gaza.
Earlier this year, Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Ankara was described by Erdogan as “a turning point in our relations.”
As part of the growing ties between the two countries, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid is slated to meet with Erdogan at the UN on Tuesday.
Lapid flew to New York on Monday night and is scheduled to speak before the General Assembly on Thursday.
PM @yairlapid just touched down in NY for #UNGA:
“I will represent Israel at the UN General Assembly.
From that stage, the world will hear Israel’s voice:
Our right to security, our aspiration for peace & Israel’s contribution to regional stability & international cooperation.”— Keren Hajioff (@kerenhajioff) September 20, 2022
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The Israeli Ministry of Health is planning to roll out a fifth dose of the coronavirus vaccine as early as the end of this week.
According to local Israeli media, the Pfizer vaccine, which has been adapted to include all omicron variants, will first be offered to at-risk Israelis, including those who are pregnant, over the age of 65, health care workers and teachers.
The vaccine will then be offered to any Israeli over the age of 12 with over three months since their last coronavirus vaccination or infection.
Over half of Israel’s population has received three vaccination doses while around 850,000 people received four doses. According to an Israeli study released this past July, the fourth vaccine reduced the risk of death by 72 percent.
With a slight uptick in Israeli coronavirus cases over the past week, the Ministry of Health is recommending that Israelis wear face masks while in closed spaces and test themselves before taking part in festive celebrations during the upcoming holiday season.
There are currently over 8,000 Israelis sick with coronavirus, including 88 who are in serious condition. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 11,681 Israelis have died from the virus.
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While visiting Auschwitz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi denounced the recent comments by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that the Holocaust may have happened “should be further investigated.”
Speaking at the notorious Nazi concentration camp, Kochavi said “You don’t need to be a historian or researcher to understand the horrors of the Holocaust – you need to be human.”
Raisi made his comments during an interview with the CBS news program 60 minutes on the eve of his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
There was an outcry in both Israel and around the world following the Iranian president’s remarks, including sharp retorts from the Israeli prime minister and president.
Iranian President Raisi’s call for "research" to determine whether the Holocaust happened is ludicrous and dangerous.
His statement is a form of Holocaust denial and a form of antisemitism. https://t.co/TkLHvkUnND
— Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt (@StateSEAS) September 19, 2022
In related news, the Islamic Republic is reportedly violently clamping down on demonstrations that are protesting the death of a 22-year-old woman while in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
Mahsa Amini was detained in Iran’s western Kurdish region last week for not wearing the traditional hijab head covering. According to the Iranian authorities, she died from a heart attack while her family disputes this claim.
According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, five people have been killed and tens have been injured by Iranian forces in a bid to quell the protests that have erupted in the wake of Amini’s death.
Recommended Reading
- Pakistan, Indonesia delegations in Israel for secret talks – report (Jerusalem Post)
- A day in the life of a Muslim EMT in Jerusalem (Ramzi Batesh, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Movie About Female Arab and Jewish City Workers Emerges as Israel’s Oscar Entry (Shiryn Ghermezian, Algemeiner)
- Israelis and Arabs celebrate two years of Abraham Accords (Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21C)
- ‘Reverse Birthright’ program sends IDF officers to US Jewish communities (Zvika Klein, Jerusalem Post)
Featured Image: Majdi Fathi via TPS
