What's New

Resources updated between Monday, February 11, 2019 and Sunday, February 17, 2019

February 17, 2019

United Nations Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Nickolay Mladenov

U.N. Never Demands Justice for Palestinian Killers of Israelis Article

Palestinian rioters near the Gaza border fence (File photo)

Palestinian terrorist injures Israeli with explosive device during violent Gaza riots Document

February 15, 2019

Iranian Revoluntionary Guards

Iran's record as the number one state sponsor of terrorism was not enough to prevent it from being elected to the United Nation's "Peacebuilding Commission" on February 14, 2019. Iran's support for the genocidal Assad regime, its funding of terror groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, its pursuit of ballistic missiles, and its threats to destroy the State of Israel were not enough to disqualify Iran from the position.

Latest U.N. outrage: Iran is elected to the "Organizational Committee" of the U.N.'s "Peacebuilding Commission"! Development

February 14, 2019

A display of Iranian long range missiles

U.S., allies must stand in united opposition to Iran's bad behavior Article

February 13, 2019

Portraits of the late Simone Veil, a Holocaust survivor, drawn on mailboxes were daubed with swastikas

Antisemitic acts in France soared by 74% in 2018, interior minister says Article

February 12, 2019

The United Nations Human Rights Council

Israel working to delay U.N. Human Rights Council blacklist Article

The United Nations Human Rights Council

Top companies face U.N. blacklist over operations in settlements Article

The terrorist.

The Palestinian man suspected of brutally murdering 19-year-old Ori Ansbacher told interrogators from the Shin Bet security service that he entered Israel and looked for a Jewish victim because he wanted to be a martyr, Channel 13 news reported Monday.

"I entered Israel with a knife because I wanted to become a martyr and murder a Jew," Arafat Irfaiya reportedly said. "I met the girl by chance."

Irfaiya said that after he crossed the Green Line he sprinted to deliberately avoid detection by security cameras.

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday extended Irfaiya's remand for an additional ten days.

It was the first time Irfaiya appeared before cameras since his Friday arrest in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He had open scabs on his forehead, nose and below his right eye. The suspect appeared to smirk from his seat as photographers flashed their cameras before being ushered out of the courtroom.

Despite a last-minute official appeal from reporters, the judge decided to hold the session behind closed doors. Channel 12 news reported that investigators from the Shin Bet security service and Israel Police hope to indict Irfaiya, a 29-year-old Hebron resident, for murder in the context of a terrorist act, in addition to a charge of rape.

Details regarding the rape charge had previously remained under wraps due to a court-imposed gag order.

On Sunday, the Shin Bet announced that the murder was a nationalistically motivated terror attack. The intelligence agency, which has been running the investigation with assistance from police, had held off on announcing a terror motive, despite proclamations to that effect from right-wing lawmakers and pundits that began shortly after Ansbacher's body was found in a forest on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Thursday evening.

The Shin Bet said that Irfaiya reenacted the murder in front of interrogators and "implicated himself definitively in the incident."

In the predawn hours of Sunday morning, the IDF entered Irfaiya's home in Hebron in order to prepare the structure for demolition.

Citing the suspect's account under questioning, the Shin Bet said in a statement Saturday night that Irfaiya left his home in Hebron on Thursday armed with a knife and made his way toward Jerusalem, where he spotted Ansbacher in the woods and fatally attacked her.

A spokesman for the Shin Bet said Irfaiya had spent time in prison for security-related offenses and that he had crossed into Israel without a permit before carrying out the murder. Hebrew media reported that the suspect is affiliated with Hamas, though neither the terror group nor others have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Additional details regarding the probe, which has sparked national outrage, remain under gag order.

On Sunday evening, Channel 13 news reported that Irfaiya was arrested in 2017 at the entrance to the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem armed with a large kitchen knife, and had indicated that if released, he would "come back here with a knife."

He told his interrogators that he ultimately aspired to become a "martyr" or be incarcerated in an Israeli prison, that report said.

Suspect in murder of teen: 'I wanted to kill a Jew and be a martyr' - report Document

February 11, 2019

The victim of the terror attack, Ori Ansbacher

The Shin Bet security service announced Sunday that the brutal murder of 19-year-old Ori Ansbacher was a nationalistically motivated terror attack.

The intelligence agency, which is running the investigation with assistance from the Israel Police, had held off on announcing a terror motive, despite proclamations to that effect from right-wing lawmakers and pundits that began shortly after Ansbacher's body was found in a forest on the outskirts of Jerusalem, on Thursday evening.

The Shin Bet said that the suspect, Arafat Irfayia, reenacted the murder in front of interrogators and "implicated himself definitively in the incident."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally relayed the agency's conclusion to the Ansbacher family during a condolence call he made with his wife, Sara, at their home in the Tekoa settlement, south of Bethlehem, on Sunday evening.

Contrary to other lawmakers and President Reuven Rivlin, Netanyahu had refrained from characterizing the incident as a terror attack while the Shin Bet still worked to determine definitively the motive of the Palestinian suspect.

In the previous statement the security service released on Saturday evening, it refrained from characterizing the attack, saying simply that the investigation was ongoing and that it was looking into all possibilities.

Police, who were first to probe the killing, quickly handed the investigation over to the Shin Bet. While the former have continued to provide forensic assistance, the security agency would not have taken a lead roll of there had not been a strong suspicion of a terror motive in the attack.

In a Saturday statement, Rivlin referred to the attack as terrorism, saying: "Personally, and on behalf of all Israelis, I would like to thank the security forces for capturing the despicable terrorist who murdered Ori Ansbacher. We will not be deterred and we will not cease our uncompromising fight against terrorism."

"When a Palestinian illegally staying in Israel commits a heinous murder of a Jew, it definitely should be classified as a nationalistically motivated murder," said Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. "It doesn't matter what he does or doesn't say in his interrogation. I hope the relevant authorities understand that, and if not - it should be signed into law."

On Sunday morning, Irfayia reenacted the murder at the Ein Yael nature preserve in south Jerusalem. Authorities said that the 29-year-old Hebron resident was cooperating with investigators.

He was arrested in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday evening.

In the predawn hours of Sunday morning, the IDF entered Irfayia's home in Hebron in order to prepare the structure for demolition.

Citing the suspect's own account under questioning, the Shin Bet said in a statement Saturday night that Irfaiya left his home in Hebron on Thursday armed with a knife and made his way toward Jerusalem, where he spotted Ansbacher in the woods and fatally attacked her.

A spokesman for the Shin Bet said Irfayia had been spent time in prison for security-related offenses and that he had crossed into Israel without a permit before carrying out the murder. Hebrew media reported that the suspect is affiliated with Hamas, though neither the terror group nor others have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Additional details regarding the probe, which has sparked national outrage, remain under a court-imposed gag order.

Official: Palestinian's vile rape & murder of Israeli teen Ori Ansbacher was a terror attack. Targeted her because she was an Israeli Jew. Document

A Palestinian woman standing in front of UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza City

UNRWA Is a Total Failure as a Refugee Organization Article