Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Created a Scandal When he Compared the Israeli Occupation to the Holocaust at a Press Conference with the German Chancellor in Berlin: Abbas was asked by a German journalist whether he wants to denounce the murder of the Israeli athletes who were victims of a Palestinian terrorist group in the Olympic Games in Germany fifty years ago. In his reply, he chose to say that Israel executed fifty events of slaughter, “fifty Holocausts”.
Israelis, PM Lapid and many other leaders, from all sectors of society and the political spectrum strongly denounced the comparison he made, and also mentioned the fact that it took the German Chancellor too many hours to strongly distance himself from these words.
Abbas wrote his PhD dissertation on the Holocaust claiming that it was not what the Jews make from it. Many consider him a Holocaust denier.
After a negotiation with Israeli officials, Abbas issued an apology stating: “the Holocaust is the most heinous crime in modern human history.”
19-Year-Old French Israeli Soldier Killed by ‘Friendly Fire’: Staff Sgt. Nathan Fitoussi was shot and killed by his comrade, at an IDF post near the Palestinian city Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank. At first, the IDF spokesman reported a terrorist shooting incident, but later retracted and said that the soldier, of a French-Jewish family, was shot by another soldier. The circumstances of the event are still under investigation. However, initial reports claim that Fitoussi left the post to pray, and when he returned, his comrade failed to recognize him, and acted according to IDF directives in the case of a suspect approaching an IDF post or unit. While Sgt. Fitoussi’s family said that they are not angry at the soldier who killed him, analysts and activists criticized the IDF and especially the Chief of Staff for new directives that risk the lives of both Palestinians and soldiers. This, after two officers were killed by friendly fire several months ago in the Jordan Valley.
Ahead of November Elections - What’s New This week: after several weeks of speculation, Former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot joined the Gantz-Sa’ar alliance, the center-right party. In a press conference, Eisenkot stated that he supports separation from the Palestinians and opposes a bi-national state. He also said that politicians suspected of criminal offenses cannot run for elected public office, referring to Netanyahu. Itamar Ben-Gvir of the far right “Jewish Power” announced this week that he plans to run independently, and not join forces with the “Religious Zionist” party. Ben Gvir announced that in the next Knesset he will strive to deport disloyal members of Knesset from the Arab parties and those who voice anti-Zionist positions. Also this week, Hadash, the Arab-Jewish party for peace and equality elected its representatives for the next Knesset, reaffirming the same list serving in the current Knesset. Feminist and gender equity activists commented on social media on the low representation for women in most parties, and the complete lack of representation for women in the Haredi parties.
American Tourists Were Wounded in a Palestinian Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem on Saturday Night: The instability with the Palestinians continues and individual Palestinians are executing personal terrorist attacks, which cannot be predicted, or prevented. The shooter was later caught after an intensive manhunt. Some of the injured were in a critical condition. The shooter, a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, shot a group of tourists in the Old City of Jerusalem.
One of Israel’s’ Most Appreciated and Renowned Pop Musicians and Performers, Zvika Pick, Passed Away at the age 72: Pick, who was born in Poland and immigrated to Israel at the age of ten, first broke into public awareness in 1970 at the age of twenty when he played the lead role in a Hebrew version of the musical Hair. Subsequently he became an extremely productive musician with many famous songs, lyrics, words and performances and music albums he was involved in. He was eccentric in his look and drew a lot of attention. Pick received international fame twice. The first time was when a song he wrote won the Eurovision song contest in 1998 named Diva. The performer was a transgender, the Dana International.
The other life event that brought him to the international public eye was when the renowned American film director Quentin Tarantino married Pick’s daughter and decided to move to Israel.
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