A 122 mm Katyusha missile landed near a hotel north of the Ashkelon Thursday, marking the farthest a missile or rocket has been fired from Gaza thus far. Fatah terrorists say they launched a Kassam-type rocket at a Jewish community in Samaria on Wednesday from Jenin.

The Grad-type Katyusha missile slammed into an area near a hotel north of Ashkelon, one of Israel’s largest cities. The 122 mm missile landed near an area where Jews evicted from Gaza during the 2005 Disengagement have been living in caravan homes. No injuries were reported.

Katyusha rockets were widely used by Hizbullah to bombard northern Israel during the Second Lebanon War. They have already in the past been fired toward Ashkelon and Eilat, but have not yet come into wide use. The longer-range rockets place hundreds of thousands of Israelis under fire, in addition to those already living around Gaza.

Members of Fatah’s Al-Aksa Brigades, said they fired a rocket Wednesday evening at the community of Shaked. The IDF said it had not registered any rocket impact in the area, but it is known that rocket-manufacturing is one of the top priorities of terrorists groups in the region.

A Kassam rocket landed near Zikim, in the western Negev, Wednesday night. No injuries were reported.

MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union) said Thursday's Katyusha attack on northern Ashkelon was proof that the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria failed to produce the promised results. He pointed out that the missile fell in an area with many evictees from Gush Katif.  "Where are the hypocrites who justified the expulsion by saying the country had to protect the lives of [Gush Katif] residents?" he said. "I am sorry to say that the day the Prime Minister will bear responsibility for bloodshed is not far away. The IDF must conduct a massive ground operation in Gaza until the entire terrorist infrastructure is completely destroyed."

Other Attacks and Counter-Terrorism
A 16-year-old Arab stabbed a 40-year-old Jewish man outside the Alonit shopping center in Karkur, in north-central Israel. The victim was evacuated to a hospital in light to moderate condition.

The stabber, a resident of nearby Jat, was caught by police with the knife still in his possession. He was arrested and taken to interrogation.

An IAF air strike on a car carrying terrorists in Gaza’s Beit Lahiya region Wednesday failed to kill its target, a senior terrorist from the Hizbullah-backed Popular Resistance Committee known as Abu Sha'aban, but it did cause him moderate wounds. Two other terrorists who were with Abu Sha'aban were also wounded. Arab sources say all of the casualties were in light to moderate condition. The IDF confirmed the attack and said it was the result of Shabak (General Security Service) intelligence assistance.

Golani Brigade soldiers engaged terrorists in gun battles in southern Gaza overnight Wednesday and early Thursday. At least one terrorist was killed and seven wounded in the fighting. No IDF injuries were reported.

An IDF force discovered a handgun in a car driven by Arabs in Hevron Wednesday night. The car's driver and a passenger were arrested.

Gaza Arabs carried out a combined attack on the security fence near Nahal Oz Wednesday. A mortar shell was fired at the fence, and shots were fired at the construction workers carrying out engineering works near the fence. No one was hurt.

IDF soldier operating in Ramallah and Shechem Wednesday night came under fire. No injuries were reported.

Security forces arrested 28 wanted terrorists overnight in Judea and Samaria. Most of them were arrested in the cities of Ramallah, Shechem and Bethlehem and their environs.

All of those arrested were taken to Shabak interrogation.

Egypt is allowing some 1,200 Arabs - including Hamas terrorists - to return to Gaza without having to go through Israeli security - in violation of an explicit agreement between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak just two weeks ago.

Israel says that among the Arabs in question are Hamas terrorists, including many with possibly millions of dollars in cash to be used for Hamas purposes.

Jerusalem Stays Mum
Officials in Jerusalem are said to be "angered," but no official response has been issued.  Only MK Aryeh Eldad, of the opposition National Union party, has deigned to respond publicly - and he said that Egypt must be hit in its pocket.  Eldad called on Minister Barak to order a total closure on the tourist-popular Taba crossing between Sinai and Israel. 

"It could be that Egypt only understands when they are hit in their pocket," Eldad said.  "If they see a drop in their tourism income, maybe then they will understand - seeing as they don't seem to understand diplomatic protests and discussion."  He said Taba should be closed in both directions until Egypt commits in writing to regulate the passage of Arabs into Gaza according to Israel's security needs.

The story began several days ago, when some 2,300 Arabs from Gaza, among them Hamas terrorists wishing to avoid being arrested by Israeli security forces, attempted to return to Gaza after their hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.  At first, Egypt would not let them pass into Gaza through the Egyptian Rafiah checkpoint, and said that they must go through Israel's Kerem Shalom passage.

However, the Arabs, aboard two luxury ferries at a port in the Red Sea between Egypt's Sinai Desert and Saudi Arabia, refused to disembark under those conditions.  They spent a weekend on the boats, and were then taken to temporary camps in north Sinai, with the explanation that they were to remain there until a solution could be found.

Arutz-7 reported last week, in the name of Arab sources, that Egypt had already decided to violate its agrement with Israel and let them pass through Rafiah - but it actually happened only yesterday (Wednesday). 

Hamas Ecstatic
Hamas diplomatic figure Muhammad Nazal told Hamas TV that the return of the Arabs to Gaza "via Rafiah is the first nail in the coffin of the [Israeli] siege on the Gaza Strip."

An Egyptian official, acknowledging that his country violated its leader's word to Israel, tried to explain why. "We had no other choice," he told the Al-Hayat newspaper, "because we couldn't accept the responsibility of having pilgrims being arrested by Israel." He said that Egypt had tried to negotiate with Israel on the topic, but with no results.  "Egypt's leadership was right in enabling them to enter via Rafiah, even though this is in violation of the agreement between Egypt and Israel," the source said.

No Supervision at All as Hamas Builds Army
Israel responded officially with silence, but government-run Voice of Israel Radio reported in the name of a "government figure" that the agreement had totally collapsed.  "Egypt is now allowing many terrorists to enter Gaza without supervision," the source said, "as well as arms, large sums of money, and instruction guides in how to prepare terrorist attacks."

Israel has long complained that Egypt is not fulfilling its post-Disengagement obligations to effectively monitor the Rafiah crossing into Gaza. The massive Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, which has been compared to that of an army, has been almost exclusively built up with weapons and materials smuggled through Rafiah and in tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor.

Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni, Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, and Prime Minister Olmert have criticized Egypt's peformance in this regard. Just yesterday (Wednesday), Olmert told visiting US Senators and Congressmen that Israel "expects Egypt to do a better job stopping the smuggling."

The "Save the Land and Nation" rabbis' organization held an emergency session Tuesday night in Tel Aviv to discuss the upcoming visit of U.S. President George W. Bush in Israel.

MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) called for civil disobedience, following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's declaration that no construction be carried out in eastern Jerusalem, Judea or Samaria without his approval. He said citizens should build freely throughout the Land of Israel.

Click here to listen to MK Eldad as he describes his plan to Yishai Fleisher on Israel National Radio. 

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Rabbis' conference Tuesday night.
Teneh Samuel

“Two days ago," Eldad told the audience, "Olmert sent a letter to the Ministers of Defense, Housing and Agriculture determining that no one can build a house, expand a community or apartment, or even plan expansions [in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria] without his permission! Prime Minister Olmert is doing something that wasn’t even done in the time of the British Mandate!  Olmert wants a family with eight kids living in an apartment to ask him permission to expand a balcony – and he will say no!"

"My precious Jews," Eldad said, "thanks to Olmert we now have an opportunity to practice civil disobedience – we WILL build – we will build everywhere – rooms, apartments, houses, synagogues, Yeshivas, and schools! We will build everywhere… He thinks he’ll apprehend several criminals? 250,000 Jews will declare: We are criminals – our crime is the building of the land of Israel! We’ll see what he’ll do with 250,000 c
"250 thousand Jews will declare – WE are criminals – our crime is the building of the land of Israel!"
riminals!”

“These days we hear that a ministerial committee is gathering to redefine the term 'blood on their hands'," Eldad continued, "And I say – there is blood on the hands of Olmert and members of his government, the blood of these precious soldiers are on the hands of those who released terrorists, gave them weapons and armored vehicles as goodwill gestures!”

Government that Cooperates with the Enemy
Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpe, Head of “Save the Land and the Nation,” said: “This gathering is intended to make it clear to the public that we are facing a serious danger due to the government’s actions. We have a government that cooperates with the enemy, the Palestinian enemy that wants to destroy Israel. The government of Israel is supplying them with money and weapons, releasing murderers… We came to warn and discuss how we can prevent this, G-d forbid, holocaust that the government is bringing on us.”

Rabbi Wolpe added: “Bush is a non-Jew who is pressuring Israel to do what he would never do in America… In America he is fighting against terrorists!," Wolpe added. “Today we are recruiting volunteers who will distribute a personal commitment form for soldiers in which the commit to serve the nation on our land but never, G-d forbid, to take part in any action against their brothers – any action of expulsion from the land of Israel.”

“Today," he said, "we are recruiting volunteers who will distribute a personal commitment form for soldiers in which the commit to serve the nation on our land but never, G-d forbid, to take part in any action against their brothers – any action of expulsion from the land of Israel.”

Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi of Kiryat Arba, said: “I want to tell this holy crowd that we have returned to our land and we must strengthen our love of the land, act against the uprooting of any community, against the uprooting of any hilltop community… The nation of Israel is returning to its land according to G-d’s commandment, and based on its historical national right – there is no room for any other national entity in this land!”

Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann has proposed his most serious reform aimed at curbing the ability of the Supreme Court to appoint its own members.

Friedmann’s proposal would change the composition of the Committee for Selection of Judges, responsible for choosing judges for the Supreme Court. The proposal will increase the committee to 11 members from 9. Instead of three Supreme Court judges, only two will sit in the committee, and there will be three new appointments: a retired judge and an academic - both appointed by the government, and another academic - appointed by the Council of University Heads.

The Committee for Selection of Judges currently is chaired by the Minister of Justice, includes another government minister, as well as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and two other Supreme Court judges. In addition, it includes two Knesset members (one from the coalition and one from the opposition) and two representatives of the Bar Association.

In addition, Friedmann wants search committees to locate candidates for the Supreme Court and the widening of the committees in charge of appointing lower-court judges – something that will reduce the Supreme Court’s influence on the composition of those courts as well.

Of his proposals, Friedmann wrote: “These proposals are meant to change the composition of the Judges Selection Committee in order to broaden the range of opinions represented there and to allow for greater public involvement in the election of the Supreme Court justices."

Condemnations Fast and Fierce
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch issued a special announcement in response to Friedmann's latest move Wednesday. According to Beinisch, the reforms proposed by the Justice Minister will lead to a weakening in the status of the Supreme Court, will undermine the authority held by the Supreme Court's President, will politicize the judge appointment process and hurt judicial independence.

Beinisch said she learned of the proposals through the media, and there had been no prior consultation with her. She said the proposal was a "double dilution" of the judges' role, because their number in the committee will decrease from three to two, and also because the total number of members will grow from 9 to 11.

The Chairman of the Knesset's Interior Committee, MK Ofir Pines-Paz (Labor), called on Justice Minister Friedmann to resign Wednesday. He said that changing the makeup of the Committee for Selection of Judges will cause a coalition crisis.

"I do not understand what Friedmann's problem is with regard to the current committee," Pines said. He claimed the move was part of the “war” Friedmann has declared on the justice system and his attempts to curb the power of the Supreme Court.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Dalia Dorner, a proponent of the court’s activism on leftist and human rights issues, also attacked Friedmann: "Until now, the judiciary functioned as a separate branch of government, headed by the Supreme Court… The new bills will cause a rapid decline of the Judiciary," she said, "isolating the individual judges and giving the Justice Minister a say over their future."

Former Judge Defends Friedmann
"Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann's suggestions actually reduce politicization, but the discussion around them is not on-topic," said Judge Uri Shtruzman. "Every initiative that Minister Friedmann comes up with is like a red flag for many people."   

Shtruzman, who sat in the Tel Aviv district court, said he supported the minister's initiatives, "although they can be improved here or there."

"Ever since the Supreme Court became an active court which deal not only with pure questions of law and jurisprudence, but also in political matters – the public's trust in it has deteriorated," Shtruzman said.

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter announced on Tuesday the government's official policy regarding Jewish prayer on the site of the Holy Temple: "Jews may pray on their holiest site - but only in their heart; no lip-moving allowed." 

Dichter explained that government policy on the Mount is dictated by the wish to ensure that bloodshed not occur.  He said that Jews moving their lips in prayer on the Mount, which the Moslems have sanctified as their own, can be seen as a Jewish provocation that could lead to bloodshed.

Knesset Members Aryeh Eldad and Uri Ariel - both of the National Union party and both residents of Kfar Adumim in the Jordan Valley - had submitted a request to pray on the holy site, and Dichter's response was the result. 

Though the two had pledged not to perpetrate "group prayer" or "demonstrative prayer," both of which have been banned for Jews at the Temple Mount, Dichter said that the "outer trappings" of private prayer - namely, moving of lips - render even that forbidden.  In his response to the MKs, Dichter noted that the only option for Jews who wish to pray on their most sacred site "is to exchange thoughts with his G-d in his heart."

The New Jewish Congress responded with barely-controlled fury, issuing this statement:

"Minister Dichter's comments demonstrate his, and this government's, total disconnect from the reality of the Temple Mount, from the Jewish people, and from the government's obligations towards both. This is yet another indication that the government of Ehud Olmert has ceased to be a Jewish government altogether, having not the slightest connection with the Jewish people."

Just two weeks ago, the government did nothing when Fatah allowed Hamas to broadcast its anti-Jewish incitement directly from the Temple Mount.  The New Jewish Congress noted the irony of the juxtaposition of the loud and clear Hamas broadcasts and the banned silent Jewish prayer emanating from the same site - that of the Holy Temple. 

"In reality," the statement continued, "the Jewish people enjoy freedom of religious expression, including prayer and Torah study, everywhere - except on the Temple Mount, their only holy site."

"Minister Dichter's comments convey hatred and discrimination towards the Jewish people," the New Jewish Congress stated. "In due time, this government will be held accountable for its actions and will stand trial in a Jewish court of justice that will be established by the Jewish people."

Request for Communal Jewish Prayer
Just last week, four top Temple Mount activists and New Jewish Congress leaders - Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Rabbi Yosef Elbaum, Prof. Hillel Weiss, and Rabbi Chaim Richman - penned a letter to Prime Minister Olmert asking for specific days on which Jews would be allowed to pray atop the Temple Mount.

The letter states that while now, Jews are degraded on the Temple Mount, "it is our position that if the stature of the Jews on the Temple Mount were to change positively, then the standing of the State of Israel would immediately improve. This would effect a positive change for the benefit and security of all its citizens."

Noting that the very day of mourning prayers for the six million Holocaust victims was also the day on which Hamas incitement to violence and death to Jews emanated from the Temple Mount - "we view [this juxtaposition of] events as a horrific failure of this government" - the signatories wrote, "We demand that the Government of Israel allow the Jewish people to have freedom of religious expression on the Temple Mount. Additionally, the government must establish special fixed days for Jewish communal prayer in fixed locations on the Temple Mount. This move will serve as evidence of Jewish sovereignty on the Mount."

The specific days on which the Jews should have rights to pray communally atop the Temple Mount, according to the writers, are: Passover Eve [a day on which Jews are commanded to bring the Paschal lamb - a right that Israel's High Court of Justice has recognized, in case #2955/07], Passover, Sukkot, Shavuot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukah (first day), Israel Independence Day, Jerusalem Day, and the three fast days commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem (Tisha B'Av, Tevet 10, and Tammuz 17).  In addition, once every seven years, at the Hakhel Ceremony concluding the Shemittah (Sabbatical) year, Jews should be allowed to pray at the holy site.
 
"If you do not accept our appeal and demand," the letter concludes, "we shall understand that the chasm separating the Jewish people - whose values have remained unchanged since time immemorial - and the current composition of the Government of Israel, as reflected by its policies, is immeasurably widening and deepening with each passing day."

No response has yet been received.

A brawl broke out in the north-central Israeli town of Harish Wednesday night between an Arab crime family that lives in the town and several dozen Jews from the religious seed group that comprises a majority of the community.

The Karaja clan was brought to Harish by Israel's Ministry of Public Security in 1998, after they were evacuated from Ramleh, where they had gotten into a murderous war with another crime gang. No other town - Jewish or Arab -  would have them.

The latest incident began after one of the Karaja family's children picked on a Jewish boy for the second straight day. The boy's father, Rami E., shooed the Arab boy away and warned him severely not to dare touch his boy again. In retaliation, two of the Karajas burst into Rami E.'s garden and beat him over the head with pots and pans they found there.

Dozens of men from the religious community began pouring out of their apartments and into the area where the Karaja gang usually sit - an outdoor public space between two buildings which they have expropriated for themselves, walled and paved illegally.

At this point one of the Karajas burst out of the building with a baseball bat and began beating the Jews over the head. Four Jews were injured. Other Karajas threw ATV helmets and rocks at the Jews. The Jews, led by their Rabbi Boaz Izik, fought back and managed to hurt some of the Karajas. Police eventually showed up in large forces and a tense calm was restored.

Harish was intended to become a Jewish town with tens of thousands of residents but ever since the Karajas settled there, plans to attract developers have failed.

(Photos: Gil Ronen)

Question: Should second hand homes be quoted in dollars or in shekels?

The answers to the survey will be posted in the next monthly real estate question.

Baruch Finkelstein is an owner/broker of Remax Center in Jerusalem. The office is in the shopping center of Ramot and Baruch has agents that service all of Jerusalem.
cell: 972-545-251-219
office: 972-2-586-9980
baruch.finkelstein@remax.co.il

The premier episode of Arutz-7's Tuesday Night Live will air on IsraelNationalTV.com Thursday evening.

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Click here for a sneak preview of TNL!