‘You’re a Liar,’ Israeli Soldiers Tell Breaking The Silence Activist in Hard-Hitting New Video

Ben Cohen

Members of the IDF’s Caracal battalion in training. Photo: Wiki Commons.

An Israeli veterans organization has released a hard-hitting new video attacking “Breaking the Silence” – an Israeli NGO that publishes what it says are the anonymous testimonies of Israeli soldiers who participated in abuses against Palestinians – for “lying” about an incident in which a Palestinian prisoner was allegedly beaten unconscious.

The group, Reservists on Duty, said that the original Hebrew version of the video had garnered one million views, triggering their decision to release it in English as well. “Organizations promoting BDS such as Students for Justice for Palestine use testimonies provided by Breaking the Silence to further their agenda of demonizing Israel and attempting to curtail Israel’s right to defend itself from murderous terror,” said Reservists on Duty Executive Director Amit Deri.

The video focuses on the claim of a Breaking the Silence activist, Dean Issacharoff, who claimed at a protest rally that he was compelled by his commanding officer to tie up and beat a Palestinian prisoner while his soldiers watched. “I grabbed him by the neck and started to knee him in the face and chest until he was bleeding and unconscious,” Issacharoff claimed.

The soldiers in the video, who served with Issacharoff in the army, strenuously deny his version of events. A number of them are filmed looking directly into the camera and telling Issacharoff, “you’re a liar.” Another soldier asks, “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

“Your soldiers trusted you and you spat on them,” says another.

Watch the video below:

Dziennikarze jordańscy: setki tysięcy młodych Jordańczyków popierają ISIS – a władze nie zajmują się tym

 Z. Harel

Rosnąca liczba zamachów terrorystycznych dokonywanych przez związanych z ISIS obywateli jordańskich, wraz z rosnącą liczbą młodych Jordańczyków wstępujących do organizacji salaficko-dżihadystycznych, które walczą w Syrii i w Iraku[1], powoduje wielki niepokój w Jordanii.

Jordania stała się ostatnio celem wielu zamachów terrorystycznych. Najnowszy atak miał miejsce 18 grudnia 2016 r., kiedy komórka czterech obywateli jordańskich uderzyła w szereg celów w mieście Karak; uzbrojeni ludzie strzelali do patrol i budynku bezpieczeństwa w mieście, zaszyli się w X-wiecznym zamku krzyżowców Karak i prowadzili wielogodzinną wymianę ognia z jordańskimi siłami bezpieczeństwa aż zostali zabici. Podczas walki zginęło czterech funkcjonariuszy sił bezpieczeństwa, oraz dwóch cywilów i turysta kanadyjski[2]. Podczas przeszukania wynajętego mieszkania członków komórki w mieście Al-Katraneh znaleziono pięć pasów samobójczych wypełnionych materiałami wybuchowymi i gotowych do użycia oraz inne materiały wybuchowe. Państwo Islamskie (ISIS) przyjęło na siebie odpowiedzialność za ten atak^[3]. Dochodzenie pokazało, że trzech członków komórki odsiedziało kary więzienia za próbę dołączenia do Państwa Islamskiego (ISIS)[4].

Po ataku rozpoczęto pościg, by złapać poszukiwanych mężczyzn w prowincji Karak, podczas którego zginęło dalszych czterech funkcjonariuszy oraz jeden z poszukiwanych. Jeden z aresztowanych przyznał podczas przesłuchania, że to on zdobył broń i fundusze dla komórki terrorystycznej[5]. Później były dowódca Jordańskiego Departamentu Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego, ‚Atef  Al-Saudi, ujawnił, że komórka planowała operację terrorystyczną na dużą skalę przeciwko kilku celom w Jordanii, którą miano przeprowadzić 31 grudnia 2016 r.[6]

Materiały wybuchowe znalezione w mieszkaniu terrorystów w Al-Katraneh. Źródło: Al-Ghad (Jordania), 19 grudnia 2016.

Ten atak jest jednym w serii operacji terrorystycznych przeprowadzonych w ostatnich latach przez Jordańczyków. Poprzednio, w listopadzie 2015 r. jordański oficer armii otworzył ogień w bazie szkoleniowej Al-Muwakkar w pobliżu stolicy Ammanu i zabił trzech kolegów oraz trzy osoby personelu bezpieczeństwa z USA i Afryki Południowej[7]. W marcu 2016 r. ujawniono inspirowaną przez ISIS komórkę terrorystyczną w obozie dla uchodźców w pobliżu Irbid i udaremniono atak na dużą skale, który był na etapie planowania do przeprowadzenia w Jordanii[8]. W czerwcu 2016 r. aktywista salaficko-dżihadystyczny, który przyjął ideologię ISIS, zastrzelił pięciu członków Departamentu Wywiadu Ogólnego Jordanii w obozie dla uchodźców Al-Baka na północ od Ammanu[9]. W lutym 2017 r. U.S. Congressional Research Service opublikowała raport podający statystyki, gdzie Jordania zajmowała drugie miejsce, za Tunezją, na liście państw o największej liczbie swoich obywateli w ISIS, a od 2011 r. około 4 tysiące Jordańczyków dołączyło do tej organizacji w Syrii i Iraku[10].

Po wydarzeniach w Karak stało się jasne, że Jordania zaostrza kary dla tych, którzy biorą udział w działalności terrorystycznej. Na przykład, w styczniu i lutym 2017 r. aktywiści jordańscy skazani za należenie do ISIS i szerzący jego idee, otrzymywali dłuższe wyroki więzienia niż wydawane poprzednia za to samo przestępstwo. Źródło z jordańskiego wymiaru sprawiedliwości ujawniło, że sąd zdecydował narzucać ostrzejsze kary w próbie walki z ideologią ekstremistyczną i terroryzmem i wzmocnić element odstraszania[11]. 5 marca 2017 r. kilku członków komórki terrorystycznej w Irbid i strzelec z incydentu w obozie dla uchodźców Al-Baka zostali powieszeni[12]. Rzecznik rządu jordańskiego, Muhammad Al-Moumini powiedział, że egzekucje miały na celu wysłanie komunikatu odstraszającego oraz wyrażenia pragnienia Jordanii walki z terroryzmem i ekstremizmem[13].

Po zamachu terrorystycznym w Karak prasa jordańska opublikowała kilka artykułów stwierdzających, że w Jordanii działa wiele komórek terrorystycznych i nie można ich dłużej określać jako „uśpione”. Napisali, że kręgi populacji popierające ISIS wzrosły i rozszerzyły się i uaktywniły w dokonywaniu zamachów. Poważni dziennikarze jordańscy ostrzegali, że kraj nie traktuje sytuacji poważnie – aż do zarzutu niedbalstwa – i dodali, że jeśli państwo nie wypracuje poważnej strategii do opanowania tego, sytuacja tylko się pogorszy. W kilku artykułach argumentowano, że aparaty bezpieczeństwa zajmują się tym problemem w sposób niewystarczający i że istniej potrzeba reformy ideologicznej i moralnej oraz rozwinięcia umiarkowanego dyskursu religijnego. Równocześnie prasa opublikowała także artykuły zalecające egzekucję tych, którzy zostają skazani za terroryzm, bo taka ostra kara będzie stanowić odstraszenie.

Niniejszy raport [nie spolszczony] jest przeglądem dyskusji w tej sprawie w prasie jordańskiej.

Al-Ghad Editor-In-Chief: There Are Active Terrorist Cells In Jordan, But Authorities Are Lax In Dealing With Them

Jumanah Ghanimat, editor-in-chief of the daily Al-Ghad, argued that there are terrorist cells in Jordan inspired by takfiri ideology, and called for combatting extremism by reforming values and ideology. She wrote: „The dangers Jordan faces from takfiri ideology are real and visible, [so the attack] in Karak is not surprising… In truth, these are not ‚sleeper cells,’ as they are often called, but rather ‚active cells’ that plan and constantly seek to terrorize, murder, and destroy society’s ideology and values… This danger is spreading, and this is well known.

„However, what is even worse is that this is being dealt with using traditional means, which often border on leniency or laxity. Jordan has withstood this test as well, but this reminds us that 2016 saw more than one terrorist incident. There are no assurances that this won’t happen again, seeing as how public opinion polls show that hundreds of thousands of people in our society are sympathetic to this stream, even subconsciously. This requires [us] to begin a long process of reforming our ideology and values.”[14]

Senior Journalist: Terrorist Brigades Will Move Freely Among Us

Senior Al-Ghad writer Fahd Al-Khitan warned about what Jordan could face when young people who left to join ISIS return to the country, and called for „paralyzing these savage brigades and uprooting them from society.” He wrote: „The small circle of terrorists killed during the incident at Karak Castle or apprehended during the investigation includes some who fought with ISIS and returned to Jordan, or some who tried to join the group but were arrested. No fewer than 400 Jordanian young people in both these categories are currently in Jordanian prisons, and their numbers are only expected to increase… Hundreds of Jordanians are currently fighting with ISIS, and it is not inconceivable that they are considering returning to Jordan, especially if Mosul and Al-Raqqa are liberated from the organization’s control.

„According to current legal procedures, anyone [who left to join ISIS and] returns to Jordan will be prosecuted; this has happened, and is still happening, with their [returning] comrades, among them members of the Al-Qatraneh terrorist cell [that carried out the Karak attack]. Two or even five years [later,] they will be released from prison and once again engage in their terrorist activities.

„This is what happened to most of those who were prosecuted for being members of or joining terrorist organizations in Syria, and to the extremists who are currently out of prison, of whom there are no fewer than 500. If we add to that the hundreds [predicted] to return from Syria, who are highly skilled fighters, we will have terrorist brigades moving freely in society…

„The recent developments are a warning sign for the future, unless we immediately formulate a new strategy to deal with the threats on our doorstep – and, too, formulate a comprehensive method to paralyze these savage brigades and uproot them from society.”[15]

Educator: Many Jordanians Feel That Governments Tolerate The Hotbeds Of Terrorism

Zulikha Abu Risha, a journalist, educator, and columnist for Al-Ghad, implicitly accused successive Jordanian governments of tolerating religious extremism in society – thus allowing hotbeds of terrorism to spring up. She discussed whether any lesson would be learned from the events in Karak: „Against the backdrop of the serious and despicable crime in Karak, outraged social media users have accused [successive Jordanian] governments’ long-term tolerance towards the hotbeds of terrorism… Social networks have condemned the governments, and some state institutions, for the tolerance that they showed in dealing with these hotbeds, where violence against the state in the name of Islam is incited… [Users on] these [social] networks also condemned the dangerous role that has been played by propagandists and preachers in mosques, as well as in religious associations, youth camps, schools and universities, satellite TV channels, and social media.

„Now there is a new trend: Under the watchful eye of the Education Ministry, schools invite young propagandists to teach the [next] generation memorization of everything that requires the elimination of the mind, and inculcate obedience. No one invites authors, poets, pundits, musicians, and artists, who will ask questions and cultivate brainstorming. While scientific research in other countries is at its peak, some of our universities offer lectures for the general public dealing with demons, spells, and other such nonsense. What is catastrophic is that all this is done in the name of Islam! …

„Can we learn [a lesson] from the red card that the crime in Karak has held up to us all? Is it possible?”[16]

Expert On Islamist Groups: ISIS Supporters In Jordan Once Provided Ideological Support To Action; The State’s Handling Of The Situation Is Superficial And Ineffective; We Must Strengthen The Moderate Religious Discourse

Following the Karak attack, Muhammad Abu Rumman, a researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan who specializes in Islamist groups and is also a columnist for Al-Ghad, wrote in a series of columns about a turning point among some ISIS supporters in Jordan – as marked by the evolution of shows of support for ISIS to actual terrorist activity. Calling for reexamining the methods for dealing with ISIS supporters before it is too late, he noted: „There is a worrying change among ISIS circles [in Jordan]… manifested by a move from supporting, sympathizing with, and agreeing ideologically with ISIS to action by groups and cells that directly serve the organization’s agenda… Part of this group of ISIS supporters and sympathizers, which once limited itself to the philosophical, informational, and ideological levels, has now moved on to the practical level. This does not necessarily require direct orders or guidance [from ISIS], but only believing in the group’s ideas, in accordance with [its] new action dynamic, and carrying out ‚lone wolf’ or ‚sleeper cell’ [terrorist] operations… It is important to thoroughly understand these signs and developments, in a way that will trigger a change in how [we] tackle the challenge of terrorism and extremism…”[17]

In a follow-up column, Abu Rumman stated: „We cannot settle for the security approach alone in tackling [extremism]… The approach [we take] requires protecting the younger generation from falling into the trap of extremism, and, later, into the trap of terrorism. This is a challenge that the state has begun to address, but its steps are still slow, superficial, and ineffective. On the other hand, there is a need to assess our strategies and methods of addressing those who have [already] been ensnared by the organization [ISIS]. We are talking about thousands of youths… How will we take care of them?!

„The important question is: Is prison alone sufficient? I think the complete opposite. Also, the current plan of dialogue in prisons is weak and ineffective. Even worse is the possibility that prisons will become centers for recruiting, training, teaching, and indoctrinating members of the organization – as is already happening, especially among the newer [recruits] – instead of being rehabilitation centers.

„If the events of Karak pass and we do not learn from them and ponder the question of how to deal with the important challenges and questions they pose, we will have made a grave error. These people carry the attributes of an ISIS society, which includes families. The fear is that tomorrow we will face women and children who have joined this ideology, as has happened in other societies and countries.

„The national plan to fight terrorism is unconvincing, and the efforts [in this direction] that are currently invested in the cultural, social, and civil areas are not serious. This makes the danger that many young people will fall into the trap [of extremism] a real concern.”[18]

In a third column, Abu Rumman wrote: „We must redefine the phenomenon itself, since we are discussing a phenomenon with two aspects – sociopolitical and religious-cultural-ideological – and we must address both. Regarding the first [sociopolitical] aspect, it is vital not to isolate the issue of the young people from the political, social, and cultural circumstances… [and it is vital] to create the political and social conditions and atmosphere that are needed to develop a culture of moderation instead of one of extremism…

„It is important to develop the public space, which in recent decades has been pushed aside, and has collapsed. There should be informal activities in schools and universities to strengthen civil society and its role in incorporating young people [into society], and sports and youth clubs and so on should be bolstered.

„On the religious-cultural level… we must strengthen the linchpins of enlightenment and moderate religious discourse, strengthen the modern understanding of Islam, and cultivate independent national religious leaders – whether by formulating an independent and reliable view of official religious institutions and esteeming these institutions, or by conducting dialogue with moderate Islam and providing opportunities and platforms for it in the media and political arenas.

„The most important thing is to reexamine the strategy of dealing with those involved in [terrorist] activities, classify them by [social] stratum and group, and provide them with a ‚exit point.’ through which they can rebuild their lives and break free of the chains of extremist culture.

„Extremism, terrorism, and violence are a system of views related to frustration, disappointment, nihilism, and religious stagnation. We face a long and arduous historic task, but it is a necessary ‚rescue mission’ for the coming generation and societies.”[19]

Journalist: We Have Not Taken The Necessary Steps To Deal With The Extremism That Is The Source Of Terrorism; Executing Terrorists Will Deter Terrorist Supporters

Al-Dustour columnist Hussein Al-Rawashdeh addressed a report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service that cited data on the number of Jordanians who joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Al-Rawashdeh contended that Jordan has not taken the necessary steps to deal with extremism, even though this is easier than dealing with its results. He wrote: „If 4,000 Jordanians have joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq since 2011… then how many have joined other organizations like Jabhat Al-Nusra? And more importantly, how many of the extremists who identify with these organizations have remained in our country?… As part of diagnosing [the problem], we must admit that we have environments that produce and export extremism. These environments… have one thing in common, which is the extremism that can suddenly become terrorism, and this raises questions regarding the way we have chosen to handle [this problem, questions] that require clear and decisive answers…

„[In this context] we made two mistakes: First, we have not established centers to monitor extremist ideology in order to map it and examine its trends and the ways it attracts and recruits [people], and how it hides and spreads; and we have not unlocked the mystery of the methods used by [those who preach] this ideology, the groups [in society] it targets, and the tools it uses. The second mistake was not presenting convincing answers and narratives in order to debunk the ideas [of extremist ideology] and then deal with it…

„We have not taken the necessary steps to deal with the phenomenon of extremism, as we did to deal with terrorism, despite the fact that extremism is the chief producer of all terrorist actions, and despite the fact that nipping it in the bud is easier and more promising than dealing with its results. In fact, not only were the policies and tools we adopted to deal with extremism inadequate; sadly, they have actually increased extremism, simply because they were unconvincing and were not closely examined.”[20]

One month earlier, Al-Rawashdeh wrote about Jordan’s execution of several terrorists and the message this execution sent: „Condemning those involved in terrorism and holding them to account have become necessary, not just for the victory of justice and law, but also to prove that the country is serious about dealing with this threat that assaults our society and about blocking the path for those who identify with [terrorism]… Among the stern messages sent by the country with this wave of executions was a warning to terrorist organizations that are trying to expand their activity in order to reach us. This message reflects the state’s serious desire to continue its war against terrorism outside our borders and to combat [terrorism] aggressively if it tries to infiltrate [our country]… [Another message] was addressed to supporters of terror in [Jordan]… Its purpose is deterrence, and its point is that the fate of anyone who considers committing a crime is now known and clearly defined, and there is no place to be remiss and lax in addressing this matter… The executions bolstered the ability of the state and society to wage war on terrorism and its supporters.”[21]

*Z. Harel is a research fellow at MEMRI.

[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6380, Jordanian MP Whose Son Carried Out An ISIS Suicide Bombing Joins Fight Against Extremism, April 7, 2016.
[2] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 19, 2016.
[3] See MEMRI JTTM report ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack In Karak, Jordan, December 20, 2018.  
[4] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 21, 2016.
[5] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 21, 2016.
[6] Al-Dustour (Jordan), January 2, 2017.
[7] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), November 10, 2015.
[8] Al-Rai (Jordan), February 2, 2017.
[9] Aljazeera.net, June 7, 2016; Al-Rai (Jordan), June 7, 2016.
[10] Fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33546.pdf.
[11] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 24, 2017, February 22, 2017.
[12] Al-Rai (Jordan), March 4, 2017.
[13] Al-Ghad (Jordan), March 5, 2017.
[14] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 20, 2016.
[15] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 24, 2016.
[16] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 20, 2016.
[17] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 20, 2016.
[18] A-Ghad (Jordan), December 21, 2016.
[19] Al-Ghad (Jordan), December 23, 2016.
[20] Al-Dustour (Jordan), April 3, 2017.
[21] Al-Dustour (Jordan), March 5, 2017.

NO INDEPENDENCE WITHOUT SOLIDARITY

AMIR PERETZ

After almost 2,000 years of exile when our people were without a government of our own, we can now make the policy changes to build a society on foundations of solidarity and mutual responsibility.

a holocaust survivor wears a yellow Star of David on his jacket during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Since the Jewish uprisings for independence against the Roman rule of the land were stifled, the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, Jewish communities were scattered across the globe, where Jewish lives didn’t always matter. In Arab and European lands, in North and Latin America, everywhere inhabited by Jews, we were dependent on the good or ill will of others.

We mark Independence Day a week after recalling the Holocaust, the worst atrocity in Jewish history, possibly in human history. However, Jewish life as dependents in the Diaspora was not always marked by so much tragedy and pain. On the contrary. Life in the Diaspora was often safe, neighborly, and economically and culturally rich. Such was the experience of my own family in Boujad, a small town at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The Jewish community we belonged to in the mellah (the walled Jewish quarter of the town) had been sheltered against all forms of violence and harassment, and Jews were fully integrated into all strands of life in the country. Consequently many Muslims – including King Mohammed VI himself – are nostalgic about Jewish and Muslim coexistence in Morocco, where the synagogue and the mosque of the town usually share the same wall.

Whether persecuted or prosperous, living as dependents is never truly free. It is only when the struggle against the British Mandate culminated in the recommendation of UNSCOP (the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine) to recognize a Jewish state in the land west of the Jordan and its adoption by the UN General Assembly in 1947, the Declaration of Independence in 1948, a decisive victory in a war with our neighbors and admission into the UN, that we could finally be free.

That freedom enabled us to create a great country harboring significant scientific and artistic innovation, a dynamic market, a strong army, a growing population that successfully continues to absorb waves of Jewish immigration from across the world every year – and all remarkably executed in the Hebrew language that rose up from the ashes of history. The Jewish State is undoubtedly the most successful case of nation building in the postwar era. Looking at our short record of independence and the hurdles we’ve crossed, the future feels like a gift just waiting to be unwrapped.

An independent nation, however, is comprised of dependent citizens. The Talmud instructs us that kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh (all of Israel is responsible for and dependent upon each other). That is true on the battlefield, where we defend our borders, but it is equally true within these same borders. The gift of the future and that of independence cannot be celebrated without solidarity.

There are more than a million poor children in Israel, of which one in 10 lives on one meal a day. For many parents simply sending their child to day care is an almost unbearable financial burden that reprises itself when that child wishes to earn a college degree. These children and parents deserve more solidarity. There are countless abuses in the job market: more than a fifth of workers live on the meager minimum wage; more than 10% of the workforce is employed through subcontracts, in terms that undermine their dignity and their rights; for the same work, female and male workers are not paid equally. Our workers deserve more solidarity.

Almost a million senior citizens, including Holocaust survivors, cannot live on their pensions. Many of them are doomed to harsh poverty. The old, the ill, the disabled – there are hundreds of thousands among us that cannot rely on our government to provide them the most essential social and economic safety net. They too deserve more solidarity.

We enjoy one of the strongest growth rates in the OECD. We are producing wealth per capita similar to Italy and Cyprus. Yet, this is overshadowed by our leading place in the poverty and inequality charts. This is not the result of fate – this is a direct derivative of policy choices.

As a candidate for the leadership of the Labor Party, I believe that we can change course for the better. Unlike almost 2,000 years when our people were in exile and without a government of our own, we can now make the policy changes to build a society on foundations of solidarity and mutual responsibility. We now depend exclusively on one another.

The writer is a veteran Knesset member, former deputy prime minister, defense minister and minister for environmental protection. He is also the former leader of the opposition and chair of the Labor Party, as well as head of the Histadrut labor federation, and mayor of his hometown, Sderot.

Ukraine opens criminal probe against 94-year-old Jewish WWII hero

Itamar Eichner

In an unprecedented move, Ukrainian authorities are opening a criminal investigation into 94-year-old Jewish WWII hero, Col. Boris Steckler, who is accused of having killed a Nazi collaborator.

Ukrainian authorities have decided to open a criminal investigation into a 94-year-old Jewish WWII hero who is being accused of killing a Nazi collaborator.
Col. Boris Steckler was warned that he is expected to stand trial for killing a Ukrainian nationalist in 1952.

Col. Boris Steckler

Steckler was a senior officer in the Soviet Army and after the war was appointed as an officer in the KGB and was responsible for capturing Nazis and collaborators in western Ukraine.

During a battle in the Rivne Oblast in western Ukraine, Steckler was involved in a confrontation with nationalists who cooperated with the Nazis. During the confrontation, a man by the name of Neil Hasiewicz, who was a propagandist and district judge during the war, was shot and killed.

Local nationalist groups recently filed a complaint against Steckler, accusing him of responsibility for the assassination of Hasiewicz—a fact that Steckler does not deny.

Sketch of Neil Hasiewicz

In an unprecedented move, this is the first time Ukrainian authorities have sought to arrest a person who worked against Nazi collaborators during and after the Second World War.

Steckler was recognized as a local war hero and is regularly invited to the parades commemorating the victory over the Nazis. He was wounded during the war and received countless medals for courage.

Alex Tantzer, whose family was murdered in the Holocaust in the Rivne region, said that it was nothing less than a sign of cultural decline for Ukrainians.

“I do not know whether this is anti-Semitism or not. In Ukraine, there are occasional complaints from nationalist organizations, and it’s a shame that the authorities take it seriously … It’s a shame that the government in Ukraine does not stop these horrific things. Now when we celebrate victory over Nazi Germany, we are persecuting this Jew who fought against Nazis.”

Regev: Shut down UN headquarters in Jerusalem

Ben Ariel

In wake of UNESCO resolution, Culture and Sport Minister to demand that UN Jerusalem headquarters be closed.

(Miri RegevYonatan Sindel/Flash 90)

Kulture and Sport Minister Miri Regev (Likud) will demand at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting to close the UN headquarters in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv neighborhood and return the land to the state.

Her call came after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Steering Committee voted to adopt a resolution denying Israel’s rights to Jerusalem.

The resolution declares that “all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and in particular the “basic law” on Jerusalem, are null and void and must be rescinded forthwith.”

The resolution also condemns Israel for the military conflicts with the Hamas terrorist organization, which rules Gaza. 22 countries voted in favor of the resolution, compared to 10 which voted against it. 23 countries abstained.

“50 years to our sovereignty in the city, there is no need for the presence of UN observers. They were given the opportunity to use the compound to supervise the ceasefire agreements of the Six Day War – agreements that are no longer relevant. This saga must end,” Regev told Channel 2 News on Tuesday evening.

“I intend to approach the Foreign Ministry and other relevant parties in order to return the compound, in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in the heart of Jerusalem, to the State of Israel,” she added.

Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum slammed the UNESCO vote.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that fewer nations supported Tuesday’s resolution than had supported similar anti-Israel UNESCO resolutions last year, but added, “I still want to make a systematic and consistent effort to reduce this even further, because these kinds of votes have no place at the UN.”

Opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog called the resolution anti-Semitic.

“This [UNESCO resolution] is an anti-Semitic and anti-Israel disgrace that distorts the history of the Jewish people and their unshakable connection to their capital, Jerusalem,” Herzog said.

“This is a miserable, baseless and aggressive decision that will find itself in the garbage can of history, just like the accusation that Zionism is racism,” he added.