News Digest — 12/12/24
Young Boy Killed, Several Bus Passengers Wounded In terror Shooting, Bethlehem Surrounded in Manhunt
A young boy was fatally shot and several people wounded in a terror attack targeting a Jerusalem bound bus in the West Bank late Wednesday night (11th).
The 10-year-old child was brought in critical condition to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in nearby Jerusalem, where doctors declared his death early Thursday (12th) following intensive efforts to save him. He was later named as Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simha of the Beitar ILlit settlement – from where the bus departed.
Three others were hurt in the shooting: a woman who suffered moderate wounds and two other people who were lightly hurt.
The bus was shot up by the gunman at a junction by the Palestinian town of al-Khader, the Israel Defense Forces said, before proceeding with the wounded to the Tunnels Checkpoint.
The terrorist remains at large. The IDF announced troops had set up roadblocks while encircling Bethlehem as part of the manhunt.
The attack came after three Israelis were lightly injured by gunfire the previous night while visiting Joseph’s Tomb in the Palestinian city of Nablus without coordinating with the military, and also followed a car-ramming attack in the southern West Bank over the weekend in which a soldier was seriously wounded.
Violence has risen sharply in the West Bank since the Gaza War started on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
Since then, 42 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with Palestinian operatives amid a counterterrorism offensive that has been accompanied by sharp restrictions on Palestinian movement.
Israeli troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank as part of the post-October 7 military operations, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, 800 Palestinians have been killed in the same span of time. The IDF said that the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
PM Netanyahu: Israel Will Continue To Crush The Iran Led Axis Of Evil
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (11th) welcomed Santiago Pena, President of Paraguay to Israel.
Speaking at the Knesset plenum, Netanyahu began, “Your visit is important, Mister President. At the height of a war for our very existence, a war which we are waging on seven fronts against those who seek to destroy us, when it may be that an additional front has opened, this visit is deserving of special appreciation.
Turning to Pena, Netanyahu said, “During the war, we were moved from the depths of our hearts, when we heard you say, ‘We will always stand with Israel, no matter what the cost, because that is the right side of history.’ And indeed, it is not always easy to take a moral stand. We have many things burdening us, we have many who prefer to remain silent.”
“There are many people who are switching sides. They think, ‘It’s not our conflict.’ But you, Santiago, as a brave leader, are imbued with honesty, determined, proactive, energetic. You chose not to stand on the side, and history will remember those who stood at Israel’s side during its difficult hour. We will remember, and the world will remember.”
“Thank you for standing up for the truth, to disprove the false allegations and lies which are leveled at Israel,” Netanyahu said. “The most recent example is the scandalous, anti-Semitic decision at the Hague Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s leaders – and possibly later, also for Israel’s soldiers who protect our country from its enemies.”
“We are the ones defending against the forces of darkness, which carry out war crimes – and we are the ones falsely accused of those crimes. It’s absurd, it’s an embarrassment. Thankfully, you, Santiago, have come out bravely against this lie and in support of the truth. This position must find expression in all international forums. I can promise you that we will continue to fight forcefully in favor of the truth and parallel to this, we will fight forcefully against those who rise up to exterminate us.”
“Israel will continue to crush the terror proxies of the Iran-led Axis of Evil. We will protect our existence, ensure our future, and work to forge peaceful relations with anyone who wishes to live with us in peace,” he concluded.
Pena is leading a delegation which includes the head of the country’s congress, its Foreign Minister, Economics Minister, and senior members of its parliament.
Paraguay is one of the friendliest countries to Israel and consistently votes with Israel in international institutions. Its leaders publicly state their support for Israel, especially following the October 7 massacre.
From Magnificence To Destruction: The Story Of Syria’s Jewish Community
Syria’s Jewish community, one of the oldest in the world, is a poignant testament to resilience and cultural richness. With roots dating back to the Second Temple period, the community flourished for centuries before succumbing to persecution and war, leaving only faint traces of its once-thriving presence.
For centuries, Damascus and Aleppo stood as pillars of Jewish heritage in Syria. The Jewish quarters in both cities were centers of vibrant communal life, adorned with unique structures such as synagogues, schools, and workshops. Archaeological findings in these areas uncovered Shabbat lamps, kosher storage facilities, and ritual baths, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of the community.
The city of Dura-Europos provided another window into ancient Jewish life. Though not a predominantly Jewish city, it housed a spectacular synagogue featuring murals of Biblical stories, including the Exodus and the giving of the Torah. These murals underscored the cultural interplay between Jewish and non-Jewish residents.
The 20th century brought turmoil, beginning with anti-Jewish sentiment during World War II. In 1942 riots targeted Damascus’ Jewish quarter, fueled by rumors of Syrian annexation into a future Jewish state. The aftermath of the UN’s 1947 partition vote brought even greater destruction. Riots swept through Aleppo and Damascus, leaving synagogues in ruins and many Jews displaced.
The Al-Manshiyeh synagogue in Damascus became the site of a horrific attack in 1949 when grenades killed 12 worshipers, most of them children. This event marked a tragic turning point for Syria’s Jewish community.
More recently, Syria’s civil war has taken a further toll. The Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue in Jobar, a site tied to the prophet Elijah, was destroyed in shelling. Cemeteries, once sacred grounds, have been desecrated, with gravestones vandalized or stolen.
Today, Syria’s Jewish population has dwindled to just a few individuals. Yet, the descendants of Syrian Jews, particularly in Israel, continue to honor their heritage through unique traditions and prayers. They hold on to the hope of reuniting their fragmented community, keeping the spirit of Syrian Jewry alive.
House Approves Annual Defense Bill With Funds For US-Israel Cooperation
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday (11th) approved the annual defense bill, allocating nearly $900 billion with substantial funding earmarked for Israel-related initiatives, JNS reported.
The comprehensive legislation, officially named the “Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,” contains several key provisions specifically targeting US-Israel cooperation.
These include $500 million for missile-defense collaboration, $47.5 million for emerging technologies partnership, and $80 million dedicated to anti-tunneling efforts.
A notable provision within the bill prohibits the US Department of Defense from utilizing casualty statistics provided by the Hamas-run Gaza “Ministry of Health.”
“In making assessments of casualties and fatalities during hostilities, the Department of Defense may not cite as authoritative in public communications, fatality figures that are derived by United States-designated terrorist organizations, government entities controlled by United States -designated terrorist organizations, or any sources that rely on figures provided by United States-designated terrorist organizations,” the legislation says.
The US State Department has classified Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997. The Pentagon faced criticism after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin referenced Hamas’ statistics during congressional testimony in February, a practice subsequently repeated by other Biden administration officials, including President Joe Biden.
An Associated Press (AP) investigation in June revealed discrepancies in Hamas’ casualty claims, with the United Nations substantially reducing its estimates of women and children fatalities in May after closer examination of the data.
FM Sa’ar Congratulates Switzerland For Designating Hamas As Terror Organization
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulated Switzerland for independently designating Hamas as a terrorist organization through primary legislation in a post on X on Wednesday (11th).
“Switzerland has independently designated Hamas as a terrorist organization through primary legislation with overwhelming support. I commend Switzerland for this critical step and urge other nations to follow suit. Hamas is one of the most heinous terror organizations in history – it must be recognized as such worldwide,” Sa’ar posted.
Swiss media reported that movements to ban Hamas as a terror organization began in 2017 when the Swiss parliament initially called for their ban. The federal Council halted this action by claiming that Switzerland was “using its contacts with Hamas in Gaza to urge them to comply with international humanitarian law.”
Parliament members pushed for a Hamas ban, Swiss media reported Wednesday (11th), noting that they practiced neutrality and had only adopted existing UN bans for sanctioning terrorist organizations, as per local law,
Still, Hamas has not officially been designated on the UN’s terror list, leading the central European country to create new legislation to allow for this designation. Though Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State were banned, Hamas would need alternative action.
Non-neutral countries banned the terror organization at a quicker speed, with the EU designating Hamas a terror organization in 2003. Those sanctions expanded after the October 7, 2023 attacks. Israel banned the group immediately after it was founded, and the US and United Kingdom followed in 1997 and 2001, respectively.
Following a vote in the national Senate, Switzerland’s House of Representatives accepted the proposed Hamas ban on Wednesday afternoon (11th) by 168 votes to 6.
Switzerland, which is known for remaining assertively impartial with diplomatic ties and policies, had given Hamas an opportunity to act as a legitimate governing body. After Switzerland committed to a contract policy with the terror organization, the Federal Council justified it as a “Swiss commitment that is aimed at preserving violent extremism.”
This changed for Swiss parliamentarians following the October 7 massacre in Israel. In the largest pogrom against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Hamas led a deadly assault on Israeli communities, murdering more than 1,200 and taking 251 hostage. More than a year later, 100 captives remain in Gaza.
After Hamas made it clear that they had intentions of repeating the brutal assault, Switzerland decided to close the channel for dialogue. The actions were carried out with violent intent, not for peaceful purposes, Swiss officials ruled.
‘The Pope Can’t Rewrite The Bible,’ Says Evangelical Leader
An Evangelical Christian has taken aim at a Vatican Nativity scene that portrays Jesus as a Palestinian, accusing the Vatican of historical – and religious – revisionism,
Laurie Cardoza-Moore, president of Proclaiming Justice To The Nations, condemned the Pope’s inauguration earlier this week in Vatican City of a nativity scene that featured baby Jesus lying on a Palestinian Keffiyeh.
“While Israel is fighting for her very existence on seven fronts, anti-Semites within the Vatican have tried to steal Christmas,” Cardoza -Moore said Wednesday (11th).
“The Pope’s inauguration of a nativity scene that showed baby Jesus cradled in a Palestinian keffiyeh is an affront to Jesus, the Bible, and the 80 percent of Christians who have fled Bethlehem since the Palestinian Authority took over the city.”
Cardoza-Moore, whose weekly television show Focus on Israel has an audience of over two billion potential viewers worldwide, called the Nativity scene display an attempt by “subversive” elements within the church to “hijack” Christmas for political ends.
“Let’s be clear. The Pope can’t rewrite the Bible – Jesus was a Jew from Judea, not a Palestinian. He was born to a Jewish mother in Bethlehem, in Judea – there was no Palestine.”
“Every year, subversive elements within the Church attempt to hijack the holiday and pull the keffiyeh over our eyes – but it will never work. Instead of paying homage to this blasphemy, the Pope should be publicly supporting the State of Israel in her fight for survival.”
“I would call on all Christians to open their Bible and read. There is no mention of Arafat, Sinwar, or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Bible was written in Hebrew, and Greek, not Arabic. It is time that we wake up and listen to the rhetoric coming out of Tehran and their proxies: first they are coming for the Saturday people (the Jews) and then the Sunday people (the Christians).”
“Christians in Israel enjoy full rights under the law. Many Christians are currently fighting in the Israel Defense Forces, on the front lines. Meanwhile, Christians in Bethlehem are second-class citizens. The tiny minority which remains in the Holy City is forced to conform with the Palestinian revisionist narrative – or else,” she continued.
“Pope Francis would do well to read the Book of Obadiah, where God told the Prophet that in the last days, he would wipe out the descendants of Edom because they stood by while their brother Jacob (Israel) was held in captivity and did nothing.”
“This Christmas let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Let us pray for peace on Earth and not do the bidding of the Palestinian Liberation Organization – a Christian-hating, Jew-hating Nationalist Socialist movement which has done nothing but bring pain and bloodshed to the people of the Middle East.”
