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‘Amityville Horror’ Killer Ronald DeFeo Dies in Prison at 69

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Ronald DeFeo Jr., the “Amityville Horror” killer, died on Friday at the age of 69, while serving a 25-years-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York

By Serach Nissim

The killer, who spread dread throughout Long Island, by murdering his parents and four siblings in 1974, has died in prison.

Ronald DeFeo Jr., the “Amityville Horror” killer, died on Friday at the age of 69, while serving a 25-years-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York, as per the state Department of Corrections. As reported by the NY Post, the convicted murderer was transferred to Albany Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. The cause of his death is not yet known, and an autopsy performed by the Albany County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine an official cause of death.

DeFeo, born in Brooklyn, was convicted of killing his mother, father, two sisters and two brothers inside their Amityville home on Ocean Avenue at the age of 23. He had reportedly used a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle to shoot each of his parents twice, along with siblings Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John, 9—all who had been in bed at the time. His defense lawyer had tried to plea insanity, appealing that DeFeo heard voices telling him that his family plotted against him. The psychiatrist for the prosecution had argued although DeFeo used drugs including heroin and LSD, he did have an antisocial personality disorder, but was aware of his actions at the time of the murders. In 1975 he had been convicted of six counts of second-degree murder, and was given six ‘25-years to life’ sentences.

In a 2006 jailhouse interview, DeFeo had pinned the blame on his eldest sister, claiming incredulously that she had killed the other siblings, and so then he had killed her along with his parents. Their home, in which the bloodbath took place, became the neighborhood haunted house, changing its house number from 112 Ocean Ave to 108 Ocean Ave., in hopes of driving away tourists. A year after the multiple murders, a new buyer purchased the home — but left 28 days after moving in apparently creeped out by the house, and complaining of “strange sounds, voices and green slime oozing from the walls,” as per a report by 6sqft.

The 1977 book entitled “The Amityville Horror” written by Jay Anson, and the subsequent movies made with the same name, were based on the terrors story of the home possessed by evil spirits, and haunted by events too morbid to describe.

Luxury Condo Developer Buys Three UES Properties for $32M

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EJS Development has purchased three adjacent Upper East Side properties for a total price of roughly $32.4 million, as per property records. Photo Credit: ejsdev.com

By Hadassa Kalatizadeh

EJS Development has purchased three adjacent Upper East Side properties for a total price of roughly $32.4 million, as per property records. As reported by Crain’s NY, the properties at 1303-1309 Third Ave. and 202 E. 75th St., were purchased from Gastonia Properties. The purchase price for 1307-1309 Third Ave. was roughly $13.6 million; 1303-1305 Third Ave. went for approximately $12.9 million; and 202 E. 75th St. sold for around $5.8 million.

The site at 1307-1309 Third Ave. is currently a 5-story multifamily building with 20 residential units. 1303-1305 Third Ave. is now a 5-story mixed-use building with 14 residential units. The property at 75th Street is a 4-story, nine-unit residential building.

EJS does not yet have absolute plans for the Upper East Side properties, said Ted Segal, the company president. He noted, however, that EJS will be a long-term owner, and does not intend to sell its real estate acquisitions anytime in the near future. “The properties’ corner location in the heart of the Upper East Side—an area that we have strong conviction in—is what interested EJS,” Segal said.

Gastonia Properties, run by James Gaston, had also been a long-term buyer. It had purchased 1307-1309 Third Ave. back in 1973; 1303-1305 Third Ave. in 1974; and 202 E. 75th St. in 1972, as per property records. Representatives for Gastonia Properties could not be reached by Crain’s for comment.

As per Crain’s, EJS Development already owns a nearby property in the UES, at 150 E. 78th St. That development will be turned into a condominium with 25 private luxury residences, with Robert A.M. Stern Architects being tapped for design of the building. Prices for half-floor, full-floor, and duplex homes at the building are being listed on Street Easy from $5.5 million to $20 million. The building boasts an impressive rooftop terrace with Manhattan views, 24-hour concierge, and an expansive athletic club including a gym, indoor squash/ basketball court, private training studio, golf simulator and children’s activity room. The development is scheduled for completion this year.

In January 2021, there were 395 investment sales in New York, valued at roughly $2.9 billion. The number of deals is up 26 percent, in comparison to January 2020, and the value is up 11 percent, as per a report from the Real Estate Board of New York. Impressive investment deals which led the way in 2021, include the purchase of 712 Madison Ave by jewelry retailer Graff International, from SL Green for $43 million.

Community Pressure Yields Huge Success in Convincing Stubborn Husbands to Give Wives a Get

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On Tuesday afternoon, at the office of Mr. Harry Adjmi, a Get was signed and delivered by the bet din from Jonathan Abtan to Michele Amsellem in a controversial case of “he said, she said”. While cases before this one required massive public pressure to achieve this outcome, the Rabbi’s of the Syrian Community and Mr. Adjmi were able to convince all parties to quickly give and accept the bill of Jewish divorce without any preconditions in just a few short days, despite the parties living in different states.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

As momentum keeps building for the incredible movement to free all Agunos, news broke on Tuesday afternoon that yet another recalcitrant husband gave his wife a Get in the #FreeMichelle case, according to a VIN report.

On Tuesday afternoon, Michelle received her Get from her husband Jonathan Abtan. VIN reported that the public is encouraged to keep up their efforts, as positive results come from the public outcry against Get withholding along with the invaluable support for the tragic plight of Agunos.

On Tuesday afternoon, Michelle received her Get from her husband Jonathan Abtan. VIN reported that the public is encouraged to keep up their efforts, as positive results come from the public outcry against Get withholding along with the invaluable support for the tragic plight of Agunos. Photo Credit: VIN

As the Jewish Voice neared its deadline on Tuesday night, it was reported by VIN that rallies are scheduled to take place in both Boca Raton, Florida and in Lakewood, New Jersey on Tuesday evening to exhort Aaron Silberberg to give his wife Devorah a Get.

According to the VIN report, the rumor mill was in full swing on Tuesday afternoon, as Aaron Silberberg himself was busy disseminating egregious propaganda by communicating online that the Siruv from the Beis Din of America against him was cancelled, and that the rallies themselves had been cancelled.

On Tuesday afternoon, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg of Boca Raton sat down with Rabbi Avi Kahan, a well respected Rav from New City who deals with many Agunah issues. Together they recorded a video to dispel these aforementioned rumors, and to explain why the rallies are still very much scheduled to take place, as was reported by VIN.

David Ohayon is well known in the community in which he resides as someone who is attempting to punish his wife by not allowing her freedom to begin a new life.

Also on Tuesday, word reached the Jewish Voice that another man who had adamantly refused to give his wife Esther a get was the focus of demonstrators who had gathered at his home on West 8th Street in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn. The man in question, David Ohayon is well known in the community in which he resides as someone who is attempting to punish his wife by not allowing her freedom to begin a new life.

According to a source who is familiar with the details of the case and who spoke to the Jewish Voice on the condition of anonymity said that Ohayon has a 94-year old mother who is extremely upset by the negative attention that the family has received. “I spoke to Ohayon’s brother and the guy was literally shaking because of the controversy that has been swirling around their family. Ohayon’s brother is extremely worried about their mother and he does not want any coverage whatsoever about this case.”

The brother of David Ohayon said his 94 year old mother is shaken by the pressure being put on the family

On that note, the anonymous source said that thus far, very positive results have been achieved in obtaining Gets for chained women in the Sephardic community because of people in the community who have joined forces in unity and have organized daily demonstrations outside of the homes of those men who refuse to give their wives a get. In addition, the community’s use of social media platforms has been yet another decisive tool in achieving results as the messages are going out far and wide and on a continual basis.

Said the source, “Our rabbis really tried their best to cajole these men into giving their wives a get and while we greatly appreciate the time and energy they put into this, in the end, it appears that these men were more fearful of public ridicule and shame than they were of any rabbinical decree issued against them. “

Last week, the Jewish Voice reported about Jeff Hafif, the man who was arrested on Thursday for severely abusing his wife in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn. He had intentionally withheld a Get (bill of Jewish divorce) for 17 years from his previous wife and finally gave a Get on Sunday morning.

Hafif’s arrest came after a recording was circulated of Hafif verbally abusing his wife and children.

According to comments on the SYAlerts page on Instagram, Yvette Khafif was given her get on Sunday morning after 17 long years waiting for it. The alert said” Just got off the phone with Rabbi Eli Mansour. A get has been given to Yvette Hhafif after 17 years. Thanks to the hard work of Rabbi Shaul Maslaton as well as Mr. Joe Alaham, Mr. Jack Saade, Mr. Edmond Nahum! Thanks to our community – She is a free woman!”

Hafif’s case was also just one out of many cases that are the center of a new but quickly growing movement on social media, in which Jewish influencers are using their platforms to promote and gain public support for Agunos, taking back control of a broken system that has thus far failed to help these victims properly, according to a report on Vois Es Nais. Many of these social media campaigns resulted in public rallies outside the homes of these recalcitrant husbands, effectively creating a social pressure unlike any that had been seen before, according to the VIN report.

A phalanx of NYPD officers arrived at the home of Hafif to make the arrest. Community members became aware of the tragic situation and held a demonstration outside of Hafif’s home, where hundreds of people chanted “Give her a Get!!” and proceeded to throw eggs at the home. They returned for several consecutive evenings to ratchet up the pressure on Hafif to adhere to Jewish law. According to Jewish law and rabbinical decrees, it is permissible and even encouraged to persuade a recalcitrant husband to give his estranged wife a Get.

The message is clear. The community is no longer willing to tolerate Get withholding, and community members are willing to step up and make their voices heard publicly, according to the VIN report.

According to reports, prominent community member, Mr. Harry Adjmi was also instrumental in helping the Get come to fruition. This is at least the second Get Mr. Adjmi was involved with over recent weeks, according to the VIN report. Adjmi was also instrumental in the Get of the #FreeElizabeth movement as well.

The case in point, Elizabeth K., a woman living in Brooklyn, who has been waiting four years to receive her get, got it on Motzei Shabbat. Instagram was particularly effective in this get – because there is a newly empowered group of Influencers on Instagram that arranged an impromptu rally, according to the VIN report.

“People came out of the woodworks,” remarked Avi David, who observed the rally.“The rally was actually planned, but many other women showed up because it went viral on Instagram and everyone’s Facebook page,” he continued.

Commenting on the Hafif get, Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg tweeted: BREAKING IN FLATBUSH: Jeff Hafif Gives Wife A Get After SEVENTEEN YEARS As Movement Grows To Pressure Husbands!!! Let’s keep the pressure on and get these women the freedom they deserve! Who is next? @RStomel @skjask

Elizabeth and Evet may have their Get, but much work remains to be done as there are still many women in the community who are still stuck in limbo marriages, according to the VIN report.

The social media movements remain strong, and there are many rallies being planned at this time where community members will come out and offer support in calling for these husbands to finally free their wives, as was reported by VIN.

Sources in the Sephardic community told the Jewish Voice that the issue of men who refuse to give their wives a get was something that they had thought they were immune to. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a well placed source in the community said, “For many years now, we thought the problem of men not giving their ex-wives a get only went on in the Ashkenazic community. If you read the Jewish Press, for instance, you will see that each week, without fail, they present a growing list of men who are in direct violation of Jewish law and rabbinic decisions by refusing to give a get. Despite community pressure, they are adamant about making the lives of the women they were married to and had children with a total nightmare.”

The unnamed source added with indignation in his voice, “How dare these men behave is such a despicable manner. How dare they call themselves Jews and participate in the synagogue and in community affairs. They should hang their heads in shame and the community should continue to place enormous pressure on them until they fully comply with Jewish law.”

According to a web site named Ora, other men have also been served with a seruv for a get but have not complied.

  • David Nachmani and his wife have had a legal divorce since 2007. There is a siruv against him from Beis Din of America. His wife has been an Agunah for 13 and ½ years.
  • Moshe Stern has been separated from his wife Patricia since 1995 – that’s 26 years. Patricia lives in Israel. Moshe Stern moves around all over the place. His last known location, however, was in Boro Park. The Psak against Moshe Stern was from the Rabbanut of Eretz Yisroel, signed by Rabbi Ezra Batzri and Rabbi Benyamin Levy and Rabbi Masoud El-Chadad.

Ora, however, follows the advice of leading and nationally recognized Poskim, according to the VIN report.

“There is a debate among the Poskim regarding the parameters of what defines an improper get me’usa. Ora only publicizes the seruvim issued by the Beis Din and with their authorization to publicize it,” explained Rabbi Yonatan Klayman, Director of Advocacy for Ora.

“It also makes a big difference if we are contacted early on. Ora works closely with the Batei Dinim, the Agunah and their legal representatives to make sure that everyone is on board with the process. The Beis Din generally authorizes publicizing a seruv when, in their view, it would be impossible to obtain otherwise. That’s why pressure implanted thoughtfully,” remarked Keshet Star, CEO of Ora.

Roblox Reaches $45 Billion as Gaming Booms Amid Pandemic

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Roblox, a gaming platform aimed at children, went public with a boom on Wednesday.

By Hellen Zaboulani

Roblox, a gaming platform aimed at children, went public with a boom on Wednesday.

The share price for Roblox soared to $69.50 on its first day of trading, leaping past a reference price of $45 set on Tuesday. The share price values Roblox at $45 billion, which is up from $4 billion just last year. The company went public in a direct listing, where no new shares were added to the market.

As reported by the NY Times, the Silicon Valley gaming company is reaping the benefits of the pandemic and reflects on how kids have been spending their extra time at home. Video game companies have been rolling in dough. In 2020, a record high of $56.9 billion was spent in the U.S. on gaming, up 27 percent year over year, as per the NPD Group. “The game industry’s swimming in cash,” said Joost van Dreunen, a New York University professor who studies the video game business. “It’s just raining money on these people, on these companies.”

Microsoft reported $5 billion in quarterly gaming revenue for the first time, thanks to sales of its new Xbox consoles. Sony, which put out the PlayStation 5 in November, has reported a 62 percent increase in profits. Other game makers have also been benefiting from the pandemic. With mobile games soaring in popularity, new gaming start-ups have been popping up left and right, with bigger companies buying out game makers. “It seems like there is a new start-up funded nearly every day,” said Evan Van Zelfden, the managing director for Games One, an advisory firm. “Everybody wants to be the next Roblox.” Still, with the COVID-19 vaccination being rolled out, there may finally be some relief for New Yorkers. That may negatively affect the gaming industry. “There’s going to be a lot less time to play Roblox,” Mr. van Dreunen said.

David Baszucki, Roblox’s chief executive and a founder, said in an interview on Wednesday that he doesn’t think they will lose lots of players post-pandemic, when kids can go back to social activities and visiting with friends. “We don’t think we’re going to lose all of that, or all of the amazing people we’ve gathered,” Baszucki said. Last year, about 32.6 million people a day logged into Roblox on average—that’s close to double the average number of users in 2019, the company said. Roblox, founded in 2004 by Mr. Baszucki and Erik Cassel, is not yet turning a profit, but revenue jumped 82 percent to $924 million in 2020.

Goldman Sachs CEO Attracts Criticism for Lavish Lifestyle

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David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP

By: Benyamin Davidsons

What good is making it to the top, if you can never live it up?

David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, is attracting ire from his underlings for his extravagant lifestyle—including trips with the company’s private jet. To be sure, the 59-year-old divorcee has some unusual hobbies, including spinning records as a part-time DJ at nightclubs when not running Wall Street’s top bank. As reported by the NY Post, Solomon has publicly complained that employees working from home is an “aberration” amid the pandemic, and even had unsuccessfully tried to get people back into the office last summer. He griped that the remote work lifestyle is a far cry from the breakneck hours which he logged at Drexel and Bear Stearns while working his way up to exec at Goldman.

The strict demands led his underlings to scoff at the way he seems to be leading his own daily life now. In a recent article in Bloomberg, his rank and file complained that Solomon hardly personifies the sleeping-in-the-office routine that he glorifies. Solomon, who became CEO in October 2018, has reportedly been enjoying escapades to the Hamptons and even the Bahamas- with seven trips to the Islands in just two months with Goldman’s private Gulfstream jet. The company had reportedly reluctantly acquired the jets later in 2018, and it bears custom tail numbers ending in “WS” which stands for Wall Street and also West Street, which is the company’s lower Manhattan headquarter address.

Last summer, Solomon had infamously been DJ for a lavish charitable event in the Hamptons which was probed by the state for having infringed on COVID-19 social-distancing protocols. Solomon also ended up in the news over the summer, when a junior banker approached him to say hello, while they were both lunching in the Hamptons. Solomon had repeated the story continuously point out that underlings were out and about lunching on a work day, though working remotely for safety. Working from home is an “aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible,” Solomon had publically said.

Despite the criticism, Solomon has led Goldman to strong financial results even in 2020. He has pursued cost-cutting for the company and dissected executive compensation for other employees, which has led to several high-profile departures for the bank in 2021.

Goldman spokesperson Jake Siewert rejected Bloombergs’ reporting, commenting that Solomon sets a good example. “When he’s away for a weekend, David continues to work, pays for his travel, follows Covid protocols and is back in the office first thing on a Monday morning,” Siewert told Bloomberg.

Lawsuit Accuses 88 NYC Landlords of Housing Discrimination

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Aaron Carr, Executive Director of Housing Rights Initiative in New York. Photo Credit: Twitter

By: Ilana Siyance

A housing watchdog group has filed a wide-ranging lawsuit in Manhattan’s federal court. As reported by the NY Times, the complaint alleges that 88 brokerage firms and landlords in New York City have practiced discrimination against people using housing vouchers.

The suit, filed by the Housing Rights Initiative on Monday, presents dozens of recorded conversations in which investigators who posed as prospective tenants face hurdles when trying to use Section 8 housing vouchers. Section 8, passed in 1978, is a $22 billion annual program to basically guarantee a rent check from the federal government, in order to support housing for many American families. Over 125,000 households in the NYC use Section 8 vouchers, making it the biggest bulk of vouchers from any other city in America. Many of the users are from minority groups, including Black and Latino. “Our goal here is simple: It’s to get real estate companies to abandon their discriminatory housing practices and follow the damn law,” said Aaron Carr, founder of the Housing Rights Initiative. “They are the gatekeepers of housing and get to decide where families live, where they work and where children go to school. Housing discrimination goes beyond the walls of housing.”

For landlords and brokers, accepting the Section 8 vouchers sometimes comprises of having an inspector check the health and safety of units before renting, as well as other bureaucratic hurdles. Despite those extra strides, however, by law a broker or landlord cannot choose to deny a tenant for using a Section 8. The housing groups and government agencies have been using undercover operations to investigate potential discrimination for years. As per the Times, in one recorded call, a lady posing as a potential tenant had asked if the landlord would accept her section 8 voucher. “If she accept what? Oh, no, she would not,” Harris Philip, an independent broker, had allegedly replied. “She just doesn’t. She wants well-qualified people.”

The suit names 88 defendants comprised of small and large landlords and brokers. Some well-known firms included in the suit are Compass, the Corcoran Group and a Century 21 franchise office in Manhattan. Mr. Philip, an Upper East Side broker, told the Times that he didn’t recall the conversation recorded last year. “I would never say anything straightforward like this because I do consider Section 8 qualified,” Mr. Philip said. “Maybe she rubbed me the wrong way.” A spokeswoman for the Corcoran Group had commented on the suit saying that it takes discrimination seriously and is offering “education and training” for employees and sales agents.

Chetrits Purchase Defaulted Bank Note for Gravesend Property

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The deal was brokered by Aaron Jungreis, CEO of Rosewood Realty Group. Photo Credit: Twitter

By Ellen Cans

Isaac and Eli Chetrit are the new lenders on a Brooklyn retail property. They have purchased an $18 million defaulted bank note from Signature Bank for 1100 Kings Highways in the Gravesend neighborhood.

As reported by Crain’s NY, the investors plan to use the property as a development site. The property is now a single-story commercial building, and the site offers roughly 20,000 square feet of space, as per city records. It is not known if the Chetrits are planning to foreclose on the building; however that would be the standard acquisition method for developers who purchase discounted loans on properties. The deal was brokered by Aaron Jungreis, CEO of Rosewood Realty Group. Isaac and Eli Chetrit were not reachable for comment by Crain’s, and Jungreis, Signature Bank and AB Capstone declined to comment on the deal.

In May 2018, AB Capstone had purchased the property in partnership with a Jamaica-based limited liability company, along with 2067 Coney Island Avenue from New York REIT for $30.5 million, as per property records. The two buildings in the deal, in which AB Capstone bought a 70 percent stake and the LLC took a 30 percent share, obtained a $21.5 million mortgage from Signature Bank.

Over the last year, Isaac and Eli Chetrit have also been mentioned elsewhere in real estate news. Together with Ray Yadidi of the Sioni Group, the Chetrirs went into contract in February 2020 to sell their building at 15 W. 47th St. in the Diamond District to the ELO Organization for $115 million. Over the summer Developer Jack Elo had tried to back out, reconsidering the purchase amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, the parties had made the deal, with the ELO Organization buying the 18-story building for a discounted price of $110 million in December. The Chetrits and Yadidi, who had originally purchased the building in 2012 for $62.5 million, had listed their Diamond District properties at 15 W. 47th St. and 22 W. 48th St. for sale back in 2017, hoping to get close to $200 million for them.

Isaac and Eli Chetrit’s firm has also been busy with a development site in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, which they purchased over the summer for $15.5 million. They are working on plans to develop a 200,000-square-foot mixed-use apartment building at the site located at 2870 Ocean Avenue. Mr. Isaac Chetrit is cousin with the prominent New York developer Joseph Chetrit, who owns extensive investments across the city, but who is not connected with these transactions.

New Dead Sea Scrolls Discovered for First Time in 60 Years

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The moment Israeli archaeologists found the scroll. (IAA)

Also discovered were rare coins, a 6,000 year-old mummified skeleton of a child and a large complete basket dating back 10,500 years, likely the oldest in the world.

By: WIN Staff

For the first time in approximately 60 years, archaeological excavations have uncovered fragments of a biblical scroll. The scroll, which is written in Greek, includes portions of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets, including the books of Zechariah and Nahum

6,000-year-old skeleton (IAA/Clara Amit)

The verses, from Zechariah 8:16–17, were discovered in a cave where Jewish refugees hid almost 1900 years ago. They read:

“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates. And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate—declares the Lord.”

Also identified, on another fragment, are verses from Nahum 1:5–6:

“The mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt. The earth heaves before Him, The world and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His wrath? Who can resist His fury? His anger pours out like fire, and rocks are shattered because of Him.”

The verses, written on dozens of parchment fragments were discovered in a complex and challenging national-archaeological operation undertaken by the Israel Antiquities Authority on the cliffs of the Judean Desert, since 2017, in order to prevent antiquities looting.

The historic discovery comes 60 years after the last discovery of biblical scrolls in archaeological excavations.

In addition to the scroll fragments, the operation uncovered additional extraordinary finds from various periods: a cache of rare coins from the days of Bar-Kokhba, a 6,000 year-old skeleton of a child – likely female, wrapped in a cloth and mummified, and a large complete basket dating back 10,500 years, likely the oldest in the world.

Conservation of the basket at the IAA labs Jerusalem. (IAA/Yaniv Berman)

The cave where they were found, roughly 80 meters below the cliff top, is flanked by gorges and can only be reached by rappelling precariously down the sheer cliff.

Additional finds left behind by the Jewish rebels who fled to the caves at the end of the Bar Kokhba Revolt include arrow- and spear-heads, woven fabric, sandals and even lice combs.

Ever since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered over 70 years ago, the desert caves have been targeted by antiquities looters. The climatic conditions inside the caves have enabled the exceptional preservation of scrolls and ancient documents, which are cultural heritage assets of immense importance. As such, they are sought after by cave looters, who risk life and limb in their search, as well as damaging the caves and destroying historical evidence.

“The aim of this national initiative is to rescue these rare and important heritage assets from the robbers’ clutches,” says Israel Antiquities Authority’s director Israel Hasson, who launched the national operation.

“The newly discovered scroll fragments are a wakeup call to the state. Resources must be allocated for the completion of this historically important operation. We must ensure that we recover all the data that has not yet been discovered in the caves, before the robbers do. Some things are beyond value,” Hasson adds.

Another astounding discovery was that of the 6,000-year-old partially mummified skeleton of a child, found in what has been dubbed the Cave of Horror. The child, 6-12 years old, is wrapped in cloth. Skin, tendons and even hair were partially preserved.

According to prehistorian Ronit Lupu of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “On moving two flat stones, we discovered a shallow pit intentionally dug beneath them, containing a skeleton of a child placed in a fetal position. It was covered with a cloth around its head and chest, like a small blanket, with its feet protruding from it. It was obvious that whoever buried the child had wrapped him up and pushed the edges of the cloth beneath him, just as a parent covers his child in a blanket.”

Also discovered was a huge intact basket with a lid that was also exceptionally well preserved due to the high temperatures and extreme aridity of the region. The basket dates to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, approximately 10,500 years ago.

The Scrolls fragments before conservation in the IAA Lab (IAA/Shai Halevi)

Israeli archaeologists say it’s the oldest basket in the world that has been found completely intact and its importance is therefore immense. The basket had a capacity of 90–100 liters and was apparently used for storage. The basket provides fascinating new data on the storage of products some 1,000 years before the invention of pottery.

The basket is woven from plant material and its method of weaving is unusual. When it was found it was empty, and only future research of a small amount of soil remaining inside it will help us discover what it was used for and what was placed in it.

Arab Mayor Warns Gang Violence Will Reach Jews: ‘Trickle of Bloodshed Will Become Flood’

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Arab-Israeli citizens protest the recent violence in Arab towns, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Feb. 6, 2021 (Flash90/Avshalom Sassoni)

“The trickle [of bloodshed] into the Jewish towns will become a flood,” said Muda Younes, mayor of Arara.

By: Lauren Marcus

On the heels of the 24th murder in Israel of an Arab citizen in 2021, the head of the National Union of Arab Municipalities is warning that the violence will eventually spill over into Jewish communities.

Mudar Younes, who is also the mayor of Arara, told journalists that while the violence is mostly contained within Arab localities for now, “the trickle [of bloodshed] into the Jewish towns will become a flood.”

“We live in real fear in our society, of the criminals, of weapons, of violence, a constant, unrelenting fear, and we cannot cope alone,” he said. “This is a problem for the country as a whole, and it is not staying within the boundaries of the Arab municipalities.”

Speaking during an event sponsored by the Givat Haviva Center for a Shared Society, Younes explained that Arab communities have reached a breaking point. Many Arab cities and towns are controlled by organized crime families or clan-based gangs, who issue death threats to anyone encroaching on their financial territory.

The influence of the gangs has penetrated local governments, with legitimate business people, such as contractors, forced to either pay-to-play or withdraw tenders for municipal projects.

According to Younes, there are some 500,000 illegally obtained weapons in the Arab community, most of which are assault rifles stolen from IDF bases. Because Israel has about 2 million Arab citizens, this means a ratio of about 1 gun for every 4 residents.

He brought up last week’s violent attack on Ashraf Khatib, the director-general of the Arab city of Qalansawe, as an example of how far out of control the violence has spiraled.

In an ambush-style attack, Khatib’s car was sprayed with bullets. The municipal worker was shot several times and is currently in a coma in a Petach Tikva hospital.

“I don’t even know why, what annoyed whoever opened fire,” said Younes. “But that’s the reality. When there’s criticism or anger directed at the local authority, it very quickly comes to violence and weapons.”

Despite making up just 20% of the Jewish State’s population, Arabs account for almost 70% of Israel’s homicide victims.

In a 2019 poll, 60.5% of Arab Israelis said they felt unsafe in their hometowns because of violence.

Last year saw 96 Arab Israelis murdered, the highest number on record.

(World Israel News)

Read more at: www.worldisraelnews.com

IDF General: Next War Will Bring 2,000 Missiles a Day on Israel

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Home Front Commander Gen. Uri Gordin gave a dire warning during an address at the B’Sheva Conference in Jerusalem on Monday regarding the threat awaiting Israel in the next war. (Flash90/Yonatan Sindel)

The IDF’s Home Front commander says Israel’s citizenry will be the target in a future war.

By: David Isaac

Home Front Commander Gen. Uri Gordin gave a dire warning during an address at the B’Sheva Conference in Jerusalem on Monday regarding the threat awaiting Israel in the next war.

“In the next war the State of Israel is expected to absorb about 2,000 missiles and rockets that will be launched at it every day and will challenge all military and civilian systems alike,” Gordin said.

Israel faces missile threats on multiple fronts. In Lebanon, there are an estimated 150,000 missiles controlled by Hezbollah. The terror group is engaged in an ongoing effort to make its arsenal more precise.

Hamas is also working to build up its missile arsenal and routinely launches rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

In Iran, which has repeatedly threatened to bomb Israel out of existence, a new “missile city” was just announced. It also has started enriching uranium, a key ingredient in nuclear weapons.

Gordin, who assumed his command in 2020, said that the missile option is one Israel’s enemies will turn to because they can’t beat Israel on the battlefield.

“Therefore, they are trying to transfer the battle to the second front, which is our home – physical damage to cities, towns and villages and damage to our spirit through psychological warfare. They must understand that even on the house front they will meet a determined and cohesive iron fist,” Gordin said.

Gordin has addressed the danger from missiles before. In a Maariv interview in Sept. 2020, he said Hezbollah has “created a powerful threat to Israel in the field of rockets and missiles… This is a rocket quantity that no country in Europe has, and these are very significant capabilities that will meet us if war breaks out.”

“There is no doubt that if a war breaks out, the Home Front will be very involved in it, because that is what our enemies have chosen,” Gordin told Maariv.

“This is worrying, so we take a lot of action, some of it in the area of ​​protection. We have many defensive programs, some launched, some less so.”

In another development, TPS reported that in 2020, there was a 58% rise in gun accidents in the IDF, or “accidental discharges” as they are called, reports Channel 20’s Hillel Bitton Rosen, who examined the data and revealed his findings on Monday.

There have been a number of high-profile accidents in recent years, in some cases with soldiers playing games with their weapons, leading to serious injury and death.

In one incident that made headlines in March 2018, a soldier in an elite unit pointed a loaded gun at his friend and accidentally killed him in a game. The soldier, who was part of the Duvdevan unit, told investigators, “We practiced drawing a gun in a room on-base, as is common in the unit. He’s my best friend and I didn’t know it was loaded.”

(TPS)

Knesset Member about to Become First Billionaire in Israel’s Parliament

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Former Jerusalem Mayor and current Likud MK Nir Barkat is set to become the Knesset’s first ever billionaire. (Flash90)

The IPO is set to earn Barkat billions of dollars.

By: Lauren Marcus

Former Jerusalem Mayor and current Likud MK Nir Barkat is set to become the Knesset’s first ever billionaire, as a company in which he is a major investor gears up for a giant initial public offering (IPO).

Barkat and his brother, Eli, are the brains behind the BRM Investment Fund. Together, they own 10% of FinTech company eToro, which is publicly valued at $10 billion and is preparing for a NASDAQ debut in the coming weeks.

According to Calcalist, the IPO will earn Barkat, who also owns shares in eToro as an independent investor, and his fund billions of dollars.

But this wouldn’t be the first time that Barkat cashes in from a high-tech company exit. He was a founder and major investor in Check Point Technologies, a cyber security software company which is valued at $14 billion.

His fund also counts transportation app Moovit in its portfolio. Intel recently acquired Moovit for $1 billion.

A former venture capitalist, Barkat’s current net worth is estimated at several hundred million dollars. He is the only member of Knesset who does not accept a salary from the state, and does not request reimbursements for expenses incurred while serving in the government.

Barkat has previously expressed his intention to become prime minister one day. Citing the fact that he is a marathon runner, he said he had the patience to wait out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career.

“The day after he leaves, I will know how to run and win in the Likud and get the public’s trust to be prime minister,” he told Channel 12 in a June 2020 interview.

During a June 2018 visit, Britain’s Prince William extended an invitation to meet with Barkat at the British Ambassador’s residence in Ramat Gan, which the then-Jerusalem mayor turned down.

Reportedly, the British government feared that a meeting between the monarch and the Jerusalem mayor in the Jewish State’s capital city would lead to international backlash.

Rather than agree to meet Prince William in the Tel Aviv suburb, Barkat refused to meet him at all. Barkat’s aides told Hebrew media that he skipped the Ramat Gan meeting “out of respect for Jerusalem.”

            (World Israel News)

Read more at: www.worldisraelnews.com

Tel Aviv Hospital Closes Last Corona Ward

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Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv announced Monday that it has closed its last active ward treating Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, following the current decline of the pandemic in Israel. Photo by Eitan Elhadez-Barak/TPS on 4 October, 2020

By: Aryeh Savir

Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv announced Monday that it has closed its last active ward treating Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, following the current decline of the pandemic in Israel.

The last 18 Corona patients hospitalized in Ichilov, the main hospital complex serving Tel Aviv and its metropolitan area, were moved to a designated compound.

In another ease of the COVID-19 related restrictions in Israel, the Cabinet approved on Sunday night field trips for youth movements in open areas and overnight field trips for grades 11 and 12 and post-secondary boarding schools in which at least 90% of pupils have been vaccinated.

The Cabinet also approved opening Israel’s skies to flights from any destination.

The operator of the airport will be restricted in the allocation of slots for arriving flights in accordance with the daily quota of 3,000 entries in total, the social distancing rules and the carrying out of tests at the airport.

The improvement in Israel’s situation vis-à-vis the Coronavirus is attributed to its success to rapidly vaccinate its population.

When asked about returning to a completely normal routine, Israel’s Corona czar Prof. Nachman Ash told Ynet News that “the closest thing to that will happen when we can achieve herd immunity, at least seven million vaccinated. That means children will also need to be vaccinated. I hope that will happen in the summer. We are waiting for the results of Pfizer’s research on the subject.”

The Ministry of Health updated Monday that it documented 1,339 new COVID-19 cases over the past day.

Of the 56,929 tests done over the past day, 2.4% returned positive.

627 of the patients hospitalized with Corona are in serious condition, 212 of them are on life support. The numbers here have been steadily dropping.

Over 5,165,000 Israelis have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, some 55.55% of the population, and over 4.2 million Israelis – about 45% – have received the second dose.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu estimated this week that by the end of April the entire adult population in Israel will be vaccinated.

However, Israel marked a grim milestone on Monday when it counted 6,025 who Israelis have died of the virus.

In a somewhat related development, an interfaith event was held at the Kotel, Western Wall, this weekend, led by Christian and Baha’i clerics and representatives of the Jewish community from Spain and Israel.

As part of the event, the representatives offered prayers to end the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to heal the inhabitants of the world, and to restore order to life.

The event was held at the initiative of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism’s representation in Spain.

The initiative began in Spain, where believers of the various religions conveyed written prayers to their representatives in Israel to be placed in the Western Wall.

  (TPS)

Kosovo Opens Israeli Embassy in Jerusalem

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Kadri Veseli, leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), speaks during a press conference in Pristina, Kosovo. Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku)

By: Zenel Zhinipotoku & Llazar Semini

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it has formally opened its embassy to Israel in the disputed city of Jerusalem.

A statement said the move was made after the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel on Feb. 1 and a Kosovo-Serbia summit held at the White House in September.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora announces that the Kosovo Embassy in the State of Israel, with headquarters in Jerusalem, officially has been opened,” said the statement.

Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed, as the capital of a future state.

Most of the international community doesn’t recognize the Israeli annexation of east Jerusalem and says the competing claims to the city should be resolved through negotiations. Most international embassies are in Tel Aviv.

Kosovo becomes the first European country and Muslim-majority one to establish its embassy in Jerusalem, following the U.S. and Guatemala.

Kosovo’s decision was taken when outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti met with Serb President Aleksandar Vucic at the White House in September with then-President Donald Trump.

“Setting of the plaques and the state flag at the Kosovo Embassy in Israel reflects the Government of Kosovo’s commitment to comply with the pledge for establishing the diplomatic mission to Jerusalem,” it said.

The new embassy is situated in downtown Jerusalem in the western part of the city. There was no opening ceremony, and Kosovo said it didn’t send a delegation to inaugurate the embassy because of coronavirus restrictions.

With Sunday’s announcement, Kosovo becomes the third country with an embassy in the holy city. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, was the first country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, followed by Guatemala.

Several other countries have either opened or pledged to open lower-level diplomatic offices in the city, including a mission opened last week by the Czech Republic.

Albin Kurti, Kosovo’s prime minister-designate, has found himself in a difficult diplomatic position before taking up his post after pressure from Turkey, a close ally of the new Western Balkan country to change its mind about the Jerusalem location.

Kurti has said that “the place where the embassy will be located is to be considered following checking of the documentation of the outgoing government.”

Kosovo’s acting foreign minister, Besnik Tahiri, said that opening the embassy in Jerusalem isn’t connected to the change of Cabinet, adding that “it is clear for all the parties that the recognition of the state of Israel and the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem is one of the most important events during the recent years,” according to a statement.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Kosovo that the move could damage future relations with his country.

Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed, as the capital of a future state. Most of the international community doesn’t recognize the Israeli annexation of east Jerusalem and says the competing claims to the city should be resolved through negotiations.

(AP)

Largest Pro-Israel Group in US Launches Ads Against Biden Pentagon Pick

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A prominent pro-Israel group is launching a targeted ad campaign calling on Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W. Va.) to oppose Pentagon nominee Colin Kahl, citing Kahl’s “antagonism” toward Israel and “disturbing” positions on Iran. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com

Christians United for Israel calls on Joe Manchin to Oppose Colin Kahl

By: Alana Goodman

A prominent pro-Israel group is launching a targeted ad campaign calling on Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W. Va.) to oppose Pentagon nominee Colin Kahl, citing Kahl’s “antagonism” toward Israel and “disturbing” positions on Iran.

The series of ads will run in six West Virginia newspapers early next week, ahead of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s vote on Kahl’s nomination for undersecretary of defense for policy, which is expected to take place on Tuesday. Manchin has said he is still undecided and is likely to hold the swing vote on the committee.

The ads feature a statement by Pastor Doug Joseph, Christians United for Israel’s state director for West Virginia, describing Kahl as an “antagonistic anti-Israel voice” and asking constituents to call Manchin’s office and voice their opposition.

The ad campaign comes as a number of Republicans have come out strongly against Kahl, due to his positions on Israel and Iran, as well as his inflammatory Twitter comments. Kahl has referred to the GOP as the “party of ethnic cleansing” and a “clown show,” and approvingly linked to an anti-Israel blog that claimed the “Israel lobby” was trying to start a war between the United States and Iran.

“Kahl’s nomination may well hinge on one vote. And that vote will very likely be our state’s own Sen. Joe Manchin,” wrote Joseph. “Given his West Virginia values and common-sense approach to the Middle East, I am hopeful he’ll make the right decision and decline to support such a misguided nomination.”

“The stakes are high. I have every confidence that Sen. Manchin is disturbed by Kahl’s record on Israel because, like the majority of West Virginians, the senator has Israel in his heart,” he added.

Christians United for Israel is the largest pro-Israel advocacy group in the country and has over 77,000 members in West Virginia, according to a spokesman.

“Kahl’s hostility toward Israel is beyond unconventional. It’s outlandish,” says Joseph in the ad. “While serving in the Obama administration, he led an effort to strip recognition of Israel’s true capital of Jerusalem from the Democratic party’s platform.”

“Kahl’s disqualifying positions are not limited to his antagonism toward Israel. He has held numerous positions concerning Iran that call his judgment into question,” the ad continues. “Among the most disturbing was his opposition to America’s designation of Iran’s ruthless Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.”

Sen. Manchin did not respond to a request for comment.

The ads will run in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, the Herald Dispatch, the Register Herald, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, the Times West Virginian (Fairmont) and the Parkersburg News & Sentinel, according to CUFI.

“Colin Kahl is unfit to serve,” said CUFI founder and chairman Pastor John Hagee in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. “His fringe pro-Iran, anti-Israel views would imperil the national security interests of the United States. The people of West Virginia are communicating with Sen. Manchin’s office and we believe it is incumbent upon the Senator to hear what his constituents are saying and oppose this nomination.”

(www.WashingtonFreeBeacon.com)

Are Trump & Biden Unwitting Allies in Forging Israeli-Arab Alliance?

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A man wears a mask bearing the national flags of America, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Aug. 31, 2020. (AP/Nir Elias)

Lebanese reporter explains the reasons Arab countries are now dealing with Israel, calling the Jewish state “the Arab world’s new soft power.”

By: Paul Shindman

“Even though the Saudis have not yet signed a treaty, they are firmly on board the anti-Iran wagon,” Vohra noted, adding that officially, the Saudi government denies it conducts any business with Israel, “but behind closed doors, cooperation between the Israelis and several Gulf nations is thriving.”

Now, with President Joe Biden working to rejoin the nuclear deal, the result Vohra says, is also to strengthen Israel-Arab state ties – “a once-unthinkable alliance” – for the same reason that Obama’s policies did. Those ties express themselves through “soft” channels, including strategic, technological, and business cooperation.

“Just last month, Israel called for the formation of a defense alliance with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, with Iran in its sights. It signed various deals with the UAE, the second-largest economy in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, in tourism, health, agriculture, and the water sector. According to an initial estimate, bilateral trade between Israel and the UAE is expected to increase from $300,000 to $500 million a year.”

After years of cold peace with its neighbor to the west, Israel is also enhancing ties with Egypt. A senior Egyptian minister visited Israel recently, she notes, and it was agreed to run a natural gas pipeline to Egypt from Israel’s offshore Leviathan field.

It’s not just Israel driving the change. It’s also coming as well from the Arab business sector.

“Israel is enhancing strategic cooperation by creating lobbies with a vested interest in the relationship through feel-good business ties,” Vohra noted. “Business constituencies increase the stake in peace and reduce the chances of a conflict. Israel understands that and hopes that instead of being seen as a ‘war nation,’ as has been the case, it can prove its worth as an ally — and not just against Iran.”

Vohra writes that an additional reason for cooperation is the Arab world’s “general fatigue” in dealing with the Palestinians, noting that there is resistance to being “held hostage to the Palestinian issue” while Arab countries see relations with Israel as essential to diversifying their economies.

With Biden combining his drive to restore relations with Iran together with renewed animosity towards Saudi Arabia over its human rights record and the war in Yemen, the Arabs are finding still more common cause with Israel.

“Tense relations between Washington and Riyadh are leading to a new quartet — Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain. We might see them get closer whilst Biden runs the White House,” Yoel Guzansky, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv told Foreign Policy.

“Despite the challenges, Israel’s relationship with the Saudi and Emirati bloc seems to be on the up and up. And as they present a united front against Iran, Biden’s attempt to rejoin the nuclear deal will only become harder,” Vohra concluded.

(World Israel News)

Read more at: www.worldisraelnews.com

Israel Develops World’s First Laser and GPS Guided Mortar Munition

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Israel unveiled on Sunday the “Iron Sting,” a networked precision fire system, a mortar munition that employs laser and GPS to engage targets accurately and prevent collateral damage. Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS on 26 October, 2017

By: TPS

Israel unveiled on Sunday the “Iron Sting,” a networked precision fire system, a mortar munition that employs laser and GPS to engage targets accurately and prevent collateral damage.

The Iron Sting is designed to engage targets precisely, in both open terrains and urban environments, while reducing the possibility of collateral damage and preventing injury to non-combatants.

Its operational use will revolutionize ground warfare and equip battalions with organic, accurate and effective firepower.

The 120 mm mortar has recently undergone final trials in a testing site in southern Israel. The completion of testing enables the start of serial production ahead of the system’s supply to the IDF.

The series of tests was carried out using two networked “Cardom” mortar systems developed by Elbit, one mounted on an M113 APC and a “Cardom Spear” mounted on a Hummer.

Head of Research and Development in Directorate of Defense R&D in the Israel Ministry of Defense, Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem stated that “10 years of research and development have led us to this moment when we can provide the IDF’s ground forces with advanced capabilities made for the modern battlefield.”

“This laser and GPS- guided mortar munition provides troops with a precise firing capability that has only been implemented in missiles and air munition thus far. This is a very complex program and a groundbreaking system on the international level,” he noted.

Head of the Weapons Department in the IDF’s Ground Forces, Col. Arik Avivi said that the precise guided mortar munition is “groundbreaking for IDF battalions, equipping them with accurate and organic firepower. This capability has so far been reserved for large and complex missiles. Thanks to this impressive technological development, it will now be implemented in mortar munitions on a wide scale.”

General Manager of Elbit Systems Land Division, Yehuda Vered explained that “the introduction of this laser and GPS guided munition transforms the mortar system from a statistical firepower into a precision fire system, thus delivering a significant change in fire capabilities at the tactical level.”

“We believe that we have been able to develop an efficient solution that enables to increase precision and reduce collateral damage,” he added.

Defense Minister, Benny Gantz said that the technology “changes the battlefield and provides our forces with more accurate and effective means. It fulfills the IDF’s needs, adapting combat capabilities to contend with enemies hidden within civilian, urban environments, while meeting the legal and moral standards set by the State of Israel.”

  (TPS)