Transcript [00:00] Europe is escalating its economic war on [00:02] Israeli communities in Judea and [00:04] Samaria, with Britain banning trade and [00:07] Norway threatening prison time. [00:09] Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority [00:11] claims it ended pay-for-slay, but one of [00:13] its own Fatah officials says the money [00:15] never stopped. So, who's really being [00:18] punished and who's getting a pass? Judea [00:21] Cation starts now. [00:23] Welcome back to Judea Cation here on [00:25] JNS-TV. The UK is moving ahead with a [00:28] sweeping trade ban targeting Israeli [00:30] communities in Judea and Samaria, and [00:33] Israel is hitting back. [00:35] British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband [00:37] announced this week that the UK will ban [00:40] imports of goods produced in Israeli [00:43] communities in Judea and Samaria. [00:46] The new legislation is expected to take [00:48] effect within 6 to 9 months. [00:51] The UK says the measure is aimed at the [00:53] so-called settlements, not Israel [00:55] itself, and Miliband insists that trade [00:58] with Israel inside the so-called green [01:01] line will continue. [01:03] But Israel says the policy amounts to a [01:05] boycott of Jewish communities and is [01:08] discriminatory. [01:10] Here is Doron Spielman, spokesperson for [01:12] the Prime Minister's Office, in response [01:14] to the announcement. [01:15] >> A moment in time when the Israeli people [01:19] are fighting against the evil of the [01:21] world, Iran, whose ballistic missiles [01:24] can now reach London, Hamas, [snorts] [01:26] a terror organization, Hezbollah, a [01:29] terror organization, after October 7th, [01:31] when we are fighting for our life, [01:33] Ed Miliband [01:35] and the Labour Party choose to sanction, [01:38] of all people, sanction directly [01:41] sanction, not the lip service, the Jews [01:43] living in Judea because of the actions [01:45] of a few hundred people. That is where [01:48] they focus their energy. I don't know [01:50] what they are except incredibly foolish [01:52] and putting at risk a relationship [01:56] that is between Israel and the United [01:58] Kingdom. [01:58] >> There was Speilman on the Piers Morgan [02:00] show and in a separate interview [02:02] Speilman had this message for the UK. [02:05] >> Why is the government of England telling [02:07] the only democracy in the Middle East, [02:08] Israel, what we should do in our [02:10] ancestral homeland? [02:12] >> policy is [02:13] that the expansion of these settlements [02:16] is against international law. [02:17] >> problem and and they have a major [02:19] problem with their mid elections that is [02:21] coming up and they are trying to be more [02:24] conciliatory to a certain electorate in [02:27] your country than the Greens and then [02:29] everybody else and they want to try to [02:30] throw Israel under the bus. The timing [02:32] here is obvious. I suggest the British [02:34] people remember who they were. You may [02:37] still have a chance to save your [02:39] beautiful country. Stop focusing on [02:41] Israel or building on our homeland and [02:42] focusing on your own land because it's [02:44] important to the world. Go back to being [02:47] British. Go back to being leaders of the [02:49] free world and don't condemn and [02:51] sanction the people who are trying to [02:52] stand against evil. [02:54] >> As Speilman asks, "Why don't they focus [02:56] on their own country?" And that's a [02:59] great question. As he added, "Stop [03:01] focusing on Israel. Focus on your own [03:04] land." A great point indeed. At the same [03:07] time, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon [03:09] Saar called the British accusations [03:11] against Israel outrageous lies and said [03:14] Israel would respond. And Jerusalem has [03:17] already taken action. [03:19] Israel is closing the British consulate [03:22] in the eastern side of Jerusalem, [03:24] removing British representatives from [03:26] the International Gaza Support Center, [03:29] ending Britain's training of PA security [03:31] forces in Judea and Samaria, and [03:33] restricting the entry of a number of [03:36] British officials and activists. But, [03:37] there's another reality Britain seems to [03:39] be ignoring. [03:41] Thousands of Arabs work for Israeli [03:44] businesses throughout Judea and Samaria. [03:47] Take the Barkan Industrial Zone in [03:49] Samaria. Israeli and Arab workers side [03:52] by side there, including at factories [03:55] that export products to Europe. The CEO [03:58] of one manufacturer told the Times that [04:01] Palestinian blue-collar workers could be [04:03] among the first to lose their jobs if [04:06] British sanctions hurt the company's [04:08] exports. So, if the UK really cares [04:11] about improving the lives of [04:13] Palestinians, you have to ask why it [04:15] would target the very businesses that [04:17] employs them. And this isn't just about [04:20] the UK. France and Canada have announced [04:23] similar restrictions, while 11 other [04:26] countries have said they intend to or [04:28] are considering restricting trade with [04:31] Israeli communities in Judea and [04:33] Samaria. [04:34] The economic impact may be relatively [04:37] small compared with Israel's overall [04:39] economy, but the message is much bigger. [04:43] Israel is being singled out for economic [04:45] punishment specifically because Jews are [04:48] living and doing business in these [04:50] communities. [04:51] And when the UK claims to be acting for [04:54] Palestinians while ignoring the Arab [04:56] workers who actually work alongside [04:59] Israelis in these communities, I think [05:01] that tells you something. [05:02] It tells me this isn't really about [05:04] helping Arabs, it's about singling out [05:07] Jews. So, what we have here is [05:10] anti-Israel discrimination, plain and [05:13] simple. Now, this next report is pretty [05:16] extraordinary. Norway is moving toward a [05:19] law that could send people to prison for [05:21] up to 3 years simply for doing business [05:25] with Israeli communities in Judea and [05:27] Samaria. [05:28] According to the Jerusalem Post, the [05:30] legislation would criminalize the import [05:32] and the sale of goods from Israeli [05:34] communities beyond that so-called green [05:37] line. [05:38] And here's what makes this even more [05:40] remarkable. Norway's own foreign [05:43] minister acknowledges that the economic [05:46] impact would be relatively small. So, [05:48] this isn't really about economics, it's [05:51] political. Norway is essentially saying [05:54] that an ordinary person or company could [05:57] face criminal punishment for doing [05:58] business with an Israeli community based [06:01] solely on where that community is [06:03] located. Think about that. A European [06:06] government is threatening its own [06:07] citizens with prison for trading with [06:10] Jews living in a certain area. [06:13] And Norway isn't alone. We mentioned the [06:16] UK, we mentioned Canada, but there's [06:18] France, Spain, Sweden, and other [06:20] countries who are all moving towards [06:22] similar restrictions on Israeli goods [06:25] with some proposing even harsher [06:27] penalties. So, we're now seeing European [06:30] governments impose or prepare to impose [06:33] criminal penalties over a legal and [06:36] political question that is far more [06:38] complicated than they're pretending it [06:40] is. And frankly, that's bonkers. When [06:44] did doing business with Jews and Judean [06:47] Samaria become something that European [06:49] governments think should land their own [06:52] citizens in prison? [06:54] For shame. [06:56] Moving on, the Palestinian Authority [06:57] says it has reformed its system of [06:59] payments to terrorists. But now a senior [07:02] Fatah official is admitting something [07:04] very different. He says the payments [07:06] never stopped. In a new report by [07:09] Palestinian Media Watch, Munther [07:11] al-Hayek, a Fatah spokesman in the Gaza [07:14] Strip, was asked about US demands that [07:16] the Palestinian Authority stop paying [07:18] salaries to Arab prisoners and the [07:21] families of so-called martyrs. [07:24] His answer was blunt. We did not stop [07:27] the payment of salaries. Let's watch [07:29] this clip. [07:43] >> What the hell is that supposed to be? [07:48] Can I move on? [07:54] I will talk with [08:02] Yeah, I must have a system. I will just [08:04] have to [08:05] I will just have to move on. [08:07] I will not move on. I will just have to [08:09] move on. [08:11] I will not move on. I will just have to [08:13] move on. [08:15] I will not move on. I will just have [08:18] I will not move on. I will not move on. [08:20] I will not move on. I will just [08:22] I will not move on. I will [08:25] I will not move on. I will just have [08:28] I will not move on. I will just [08:29] I will not move on. I will just [08:31] I will not move on. I will just have to [08:34] I will not move on. I will just [08:37] I will not move on. I will just [08:40] I will not move on. I will just [08:42] I will not move on. I will just [08:44] I will not move on. I will just have to [08:46] move on. [08:47] I will not move on. I will [08:50] I will not move on. I will [08:52] I will not move on. I will just [08:55] I will not move on. I will [08:56] I will not move on. I will just [08:59] I will not move on. I will just [09:03] I will not move on. I will I will not [09:04] move on. I will [09:07] I will not move on. I will just [09:10] I will not move on. I will [09:13] I will not move on. I will [09:15] >> Thank you to Palestinian Media Watch for [09:17] that clip, and let's break this down. Al [09:19] Hayek said the Palestinian leadership is [09:21] still discussing ways to make sure the [09:23] money reaches prisoners, wounded [09:25] terrorists, and the families of those [09:27] killed while carrying out attacks. And [09:29] he described one method being used to [09:31] get around restrictions on the payments. [09:33] According to Al Hayek, someone in Gaza [09:35] can give power of attorney to a person [09:38] in what he calls the West Bank, Judea [09:40] and Samaria, who then collects the money [09:42] through the PA institutions and [09:44] transfers it to the intended recipient. [09:47] In other words, the money is still [09:49] flowing. The PA has told the US and [09:51] other Western governments that it has [09:53] reformed pay to slay. But this Fatah [09:56] spokesman is saying the opposite. And [09:58] there may be a reason the Palestinian [10:00] leadership is so determined to keep the [10:02] payments going. PMW reported last week, [10:05] which we discussed on the show, that a [10:07] released Arab prisoner said openly on PA [10:11] television that if the PA stopped paying [10:14] salaries to terrorists, it would become [10:17] impossible to recruit new terrorists. [10:20] So, this isn't simply about welfare [10:22] payments. It goes to the heart of the [10:24] PA's policy toward terrorism. The PA may [10:28] have changed the way the payments are [10:29] made, but according to one of its own [10:32] senior Fatah officials, it has not [10:34] stopped paying terrorists and their [10:36] families. And that raises a very serious [10:38] question for Washington and the other [10:40] Western governments demanding [10:42] Palestinian reform. [10:43] If the PA can't or won't stop rewarding [10:46] terrorism, how can it be trusted with a [10:49] greater role in Gaza or anywhere else? [10:52] Moving on, a potential Rosh Hashanah [10:54] terror attack was thwarted this week in [10:57] Judea. The IDF says soldiers arrested a [11:00] terrorist identified as Abed al-Rahman [11:03] in the Hebron area during the Jewish New [11:05] Year. [11:06] The arrest was carried out under the [11:07] direction of the Shin Bet based on [11:09] intelligence indicating that he was [11:11] preparing to carry out a shooting attack [11:14] against Israeli civilians. And according [11:16] to the IDF, he planned to carry it out [11:18] in the immediate time frame. The arrest [11:20] came as Israeli security forces [11:22] significantly increased their readiness [11:24] throughout Judea and Samaria ahead of [11:26] the Jewish high holidays. [11:28] The IDF says more than 220 wanted [11:30] suspects have been arrested in the [11:32] region as part of those preparations, [11:34] along with dozens of exercises, [11:36] inspections, and drills. And that [11:39] heightened readiness appears to have [11:40] paid off. Intelligence identified the [11:42] suspected terrorist, Israeli forces [11:45] moved in, and the planned attack was [11:47] thwarted before anyone was hurt. The IDF [11:49] says its forces will continue operating [11:51] throughout the region to prevent [11:53] terrorism and protect Israeli civilians. [11:56] And for Israelis who were celebrating [11:58] Rosh Hashanah, the arrest is a stark [12:00] reminder that while families gathered to [12:02] celebrate the Jewish New Year, Israeli [12:04] security forces are working around the [12:06] clock to stop terrorists before they can [12:09] strike. Now, all of that being said, [12:11] sometimes attacks do get through. An [12:14] Arab terrorist carried out a stabbing [12:16] attack at an Israeli farm in Samaria [12:18] last week, seriously wounding an Israeli [12:21] man. [12:22] The attack took place at the Ma'oz [12:24] Yehuda farm in the Shilo block of [12:27] Samaria near the Israeli communities of [12:29] Shilo, Eli, and Ma'ale Levona. [12:32] According to Israeli security officials, [12:34] the terrorist arrived at the farm in a [12:35] vehicle and approached an Israeli [12:38] resident. He reportedly asked the man if [12:40] he was armed. He then pulled out a knife [12:42] and stabbed him repeatedly, seriously [12:45] wounding him in his hand and upper body. [12:48] According to emergency responders, the [12:50] victim suffered multiple stab wounds, [12:52] with one report saying he was stabbed [12:54] until the knife actually broke. [12:56] He was evacuated to a local hospital for [12:58] treatment. The terrorist then fled the [13:01] scene in his vehicle, prompting Israeli [13:03] security forces to launch a massive [13:05] manhunt. [13:06] About an hour later, IDF soldiers [13:08] located him near his vehicle in the area [13:11] of Kabalan. According to the IDF, the [13:14] terrorist attempted to then stab the [13:16] soldiers. An IDF commander opened fire, [13:19] killing the terrorist. The Israeli [13:21] civilian survived the attack, and [13:23] Israeli forces were able to locate and [13:25] eliminate the terrorist all within about [13:28] an hour. Again, the IDF thwarts over 90% [13:32] of terrorist attacks, if not more, but [13:34] some do get through. [13:36] And that threat is fueled by the [13:37] continued incitement from the [13:39] Palestinian Authority and of course [13:41] Hamas, which both glorify terrorists and [13:44] promote a message of violence against [13:46] Israelis. Moving on, we usually don't [13:48] talk about anti-terror operations in [13:50] Gaza on the show as many other programs [13:53] on JNS-TV focus on the wider war [13:56] Israel's currently waging against evil [13:58] on many fronts. We usually stick with [14:01] Judea and Samaria, but this next report [14:03] is extremely relevant for our purposes. [14:06] A Hamas terrorist responsible for the [14:08] murder of six Israelis in Judea and [14:10] Samaria has been eliminated. The IDF [14:13] confirmed that Farah Hamad was killed in [14:16] a joint operation by the IDF, Shin Bet, [14:19] and Israel police in the central Gaza [14:21] Strip. [14:22] Hamad was a senior operative in Hamas' [14:24] so-called West Bank headquarters and had [14:27] spent years directing and recruiting [14:28] terrorists for attacks throughout Judea [14:31] and Samaria. He was also a member of the [14:33] Silwad terror cell, which carried out a [14:35] series of deadly attacks in the Binyamin [14:38] area. Among those murdered by the cell [14:40] were Shalom Harmelich, the husband of MK [14:43] Limor Son Harmelich, as well as Esther [14:46] Galia and Zvi Goldstein. May God avenge [14:48] their blood. The cell was also [14:50] responsible for an October 2003 shooting [14:53] attack in Ein Yabrud that killed three [14:56] IDF soldiers, Elad [ __ ] Roi Yaacov [14:59] Solomon, and Ezra Hadad. May God avenge [15:02] their blood. [15:04] And here's an important part of the [15:05] story. Hamad was arrested by Israel but [15:07] was released to Gaza in 2011 as part of [15:11] the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. [15:13] After his release, he continued [15:15] operating in Hamas' military wing and [15:17] helped recruit and direct terrorists to [15:20] carry out attacks throughout Judea and [15:22] Samaria. [15:22] Now, 15 years after being released in [15:25] that deal, the terrorist responsible for [15:28] so much bloodshed has finally been [15:30] eliminated. [15:32] The message from Israel security forces [15:34] is clear. Terrorists may hide in Gaza, [15:36] but Israel will continue to hunt them [15:39] down. Those who are responsible for [15:41] attacks against Israelis. And finally [15:43] this week, 21 years after Israel [15:46] evacuated the Jewish community of Homesh [15:48] in northern Samaria, residents are [15:50] celebrating what they call a major [15:52] victory. [15:53] This coming Wednesday, a Torah scroll [15:56] will be dedicated in a new synagogue [15:57] named after Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Cook. [16:01] It will be inaugurated in the renewed [16:02] community of Homesh. Organizers say 16 [16:06] new families have moved to Homesh over [16:08] the past year, bringing the community to [16:10] around 30 families across two [16:12] neighborhoods. Many of the residents are [16:14] families who were expelled from Homesh [16:16] in 2005 and have now returned along with [16:20] young couples from across Judea and [16:22] Samaria and the rest of Israel. [16:25] Samaria Regional Council head Yossi [16:27] Dagan, who is himself expelled from a [16:29] community in northern Samaria, called on [16:31] the public to join the celebration. He [16:34] said that 21 years after attempts were [16:36] made to uproot Homesh, "We are returning [16:39] and rebuilding Homesh and returning to [16:42] northern Samaria." He added that the [16:43] synagogue that was destroyed is once [16:46] again becoming a house of prayer as [16:48] Jewish families return to rebuild build [16:50] their lives in the area. Benny Gal, who [16:52] was expelled from Homesh and is one of [16:54] the leaders of the Homesh First [16:56] Movement, said it was emotional to see a [16:58] dream they had fought for more than 21 [17:01] years finally becoming a reality. They [17:03] see the return of Jewish families to [17:05] northern Samaria as the beginning of a [17:08] much broader revival of Jewish [17:10] communities throughout the region. [17:12] Thanks so much for joining us on this [17:14] week's Judea Cation. I want to give a [17:15] shout out to the people behind the [17:17] scenes here at JNS TV. [music] Our [17:19] producer Barbara Kimmell engineer Aaron [17:21] Wogalter Zach Sickerman Ryan Leschins [17:24] station manager Yuri Sredzki video [17:26] editor Ksenia Palashenko and intern Haya [17:29] Munatin. Have a great week everyone. [17:32] We will see you here next week on Judea [17:34] Acation on JNS TV. Make sure you check [17:37] out all the amazing content provided by [17:39] JNS TV. Give us a super thanks, [17:40] subscribe and go to jns.org for all the [17:43] latest breaking news from Israel, the [17:45] Middle East and the entire Jewish world. [17:47] Have a great week everybody.
