ATTACK RESUMED-3

Israel Foils Hamas Plot to Take Over West Bank

“Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.”  (Isaiah 8:10)

Israel has thwarted a Hamas plot to topple the Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas, begin a third intifada uprising, and establish a second front against Israel during Operation Protective Edge. Israel’s internal security, the Shin Bet, uncovered the plot during May and June, in the process of arresting over 90 Hamas operatives, confiscating guns and other weapons that included 24 M-16 rifles, six handguns, seven missile launchers, magazines, and ammunition.  They also seized more than $170,000 funnelled into the West Bank from Jordan to fund the attacks. More than 70 indictments were served in recent days at military tribunals in the West Bank in connection with the plot. “The terrorists planned to undermine security and launch a third intifada.  They planned disturbances on the Temple Mount to rile the Palestinian masses.  They were waiting for talks between Israel and PA to collapse,” a Shin Bet source said. The terror cells, consisting of mostly Arab students of math, chemistry and engineering living in Judea and Samaria, were set up by Turkey-based Hamas leader, Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri. The Shin Bet said that terrorist cells were set up all over Judea and Samaria including such places as Jenin, Nablus, eastern Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Hebron. On Wednesday, Israel’s Channel 2 aired a recording of al-Arouri claiming responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar, and Eyal Yifrach on June 12. “I praise the brave action that the al-Qassam Brigades carried out, the kidnapping of the three settlers to Hebron,” al-Arouri said.  He also said the three Israelis were killed in response to the hunger strikes by Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons.

 

Naftali Frenkel, 16, Gil-Ad Shaar, 16, and Eyal Yifrach, 19, were on their

way home for Shabbat when they were murdered simply because they

were Jewish.

The revelation of the planned military coup has led Abbas to start a probe into the affair.  He said that the implications of the revealed plot “will be serious for the Palestinian and regional situation, especially after Israeli officials published a list and pictures of confiscated weapons.”  Repeatedly referring to Hamas as being behind the plot to overthrow the Palestinian government, Abbas said that this could pose a serious threat to the future of any Palestinian unity government. The plot leaders had hoped to open a second front during the current Operation Protective Edge by overthrowing Abbas and beginning a new round of violence in Israel.The security authority said that Hamas planned to use a third intifada to cover up a military coup in which it would seize control of the Palestinian government in Ramallah and place Mohammed Deif in control. Deif commands the terrorist group Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas terror organization, which was founded in part by al-Arouri.

Gershon Baskin, the founder and co-chairman of the

Israel Palestine Creative Regional Initiatives (IPCRI).

Israeli Surplus Potato Crop Destined for Hungry Gazans

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”  (Proverbs 25:21)

Gershon Baskin, the founder and co-chairman of the Israel Palestine Creative Regional Initiatives (IPCRI), has raised $93,000 to be used to buy surplus Israeli potatoes for Palestinians in Gaza who are hurting due to the aftermath of the Hamas bombing of Israel. In 2006, Baskin unofficially, without governmental authorization or support, opened back channels with Hamas to help negotiate the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. When he learned that the Israeli Vegetable Growers’ Association had a 5,000 ton surplus of potatoes slated for destruction, he immediately thought of the Palestinians suffering without electricity, food, and homes. Instead of the government paying the farmers half a shekel a kilo to destroy the crop, he reasoned, why not raise the money and pay the farmers for the surplus crop so the potatoes could help the hungry in Gaza? It could be a win-win situation, he thought.  The farmers can’t sell the produce anyway and they would get the same money they would receive from the government for the crop.  The people in Gaza who haven’t been able to grow crops because many fields have been bombed out will receive much needed food.

Men stock the shelves with potatoes in a market in Jerusalem.

Even Gaza farmers that were spared the rocket attacks of the latest conflict are suffering from a lack of water and electricity.  One farmer explained to the Jerusalem Post that these factors combined with the risks of working in an open field have all but totally destroyed this year’s crop.  He added that the strawberry crop was particularly affected due to a lack of water. The case is similar for Israeli farmers located near the Strip who also have been unable to work their fields.  While Israel’s government has already set up a compensation package to help these farmers, it remains unclear if Hamas will offer anything similar to its people. Possibly reflecting the feelings of other farmers in the Gaza Strip, the farmer interviewed by the Jerusalem Post said that “the war is very bad” and that “all the people here are very sad.”  He added, “I hope that in the future everything will be solved between our friends.” To purchase the surplus potatoes for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Baskin figured that he needed a total of $750,000, so he turned to the Internet to start raising funds. “Within minutes I got 20 or 30 emails from people who said they were willing to contribute,” he said.  “So I just said, yalla, let’s do one of those crowd-sourcing campaigns.” Although he didn't reach his goal by the cut-off date for the campaign, Baskin was impressed with the response that his effort did receive. “It was all kinds of people,” he says of the donors.  “There were a lot of Jews, both in Israel and America and Britain.” Despite the shortfall of money, Baskin said he will overcome the difficulties in getting the surplus potatoes to those in need in the Gaza Strip. The situation continues to be dire here in Israel.  People have just seconds to get to safe rooms, as Hamas mercilessly fires on civilians without warning. No other nation on earth would tolerate being placed in such a position, and yet so many international leaders are insisting that Israel show restraint in defending herself, which she has done by warning Gaza civilians of impending attacks on Hamas targets lodged in civilian houses, mosques, schools and hospitals.

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