Israel
Israeli security virtually air tight, says Israel national police spokesperson
By MYRON LOVE Despite living under constant threat of terrorist attack, Israel remains one of the safest countries in the world in which to live or visit. It is precisely because of that constant threat that hangs over the country that Israel has developed a security blanket that is at the same time, unobtrusive, yet virtually impregnable, and light years ahead of any other democratic country in the world.
As this writer can attest from my visit to Israel last March, you can travel the length and breadth of the country with no more sense of danger than travelling about Winnipeg.
As explained by Micky Rosenfeld, Israel national police spokesman to the world press, Israel’s security is ensured by a combination of rapid response – aided by the most up-to-date technology – to any incidents that occur, a proactive policy aimed at preventing potential terrorist attacks, outreach to Muslim and Christian Arab communities within Israel, and the dedicated efforts of the country’s 29,000 national police officers (compared New York City’s 30,000-strong police force, Rosenfeld pointed out).
The British-born Rosenfeld was in Winnipeg on Tuesday, September 12, courtesy of the Jewish National Fund of Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan office. He spoke in the evening to a packed audience at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. The presentation was sponsored by Larry and Tova Vickar and the Asper Foundation.
Rosenfeld, a veteran of the IDF’s Givati Brigade, noted that he is responsible for relations with over 1,000 foreign media outlets worldwide. “I try to communicate and explain complex issues in a calm and reasonable manner,” he said.
He noted that Israel is divided into seven security districts with Jerusalem – including the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher – as
the epicenter. Jerusalem, he reported, is the most active – and sensitive – area in terms of terrorist threats. Whereas terrorism accounts for only 20% of violent incidents (as compared to criminal activity) in the rest of Israel, in Jerusalem, terrorism accounts for 80% of violent acts. During the current so-called “knife intifada” over the past two years – during which 42 Israelis (plus one tourist and one foreign worker) have been killed (along with more than 200 attackers), almost all of the attacks have taken place in and around Jerusalem’s Old City and the Hebron area.
Rosenfeld noted that he starts off every day reviewing the overnight anti-terrorist operations. “Almost every night, there are between 10 and 20 attempted terrorist attacks,” he reported. “Proactive policing ensures that the attacks don’t take place. Because of the sensitivity of the religious sites in Jerusalem and the large number of tourists that come to the city, we can’t afford any major incidents.”
Security is enhanced throughout the Old City (as we witnessed firsthand during our JNF tour in March) by CCTV cameras that blanket the Old City. There is a camera covering every street in and around the Old City relaying real time information to police officers viewing wall to wall TV screens stationed in a central location. Any suspicious activity is instantly relayed to officers on patrol.
“Our patrol officers know which direction suspects are going and what they are wearing,” Rosenfeld said. “Our response time to any incident is four to seven minutes.”
He added that the national police are unofficially supplemented by another 30,000 veterans of the IDF who are licensed to carry guns and intervene in a terrorist attack.
“Our response is commensurate with the threat level,” he said. “Wherever possible, we use non-lethal means – stun grenade and tear gas – and we work to contain riots as quickly as possible.”
Rosenfeld also emphasized the importance of communication and co-ordination in dealing with critical incidents. That includes co-ordination with the WAQF, the Muslim religious authorities on the Temple Mount, the Israel Defense Force, rescue and response teams, hospitals, municipalities and the media.
He also pointed out police efforts to visit Israeli-Arab communities, meet with the leaders and community members and establish positive relationships. He added that 10% of the members of the national police are Arab Israelis – Christian, Muslim, Druze and Bedouin. The two Israeli police officers who were murdered in July while guarding the Temple Mount were Druze.
As to this current round of troubles, Rosenfeld noted that the typical terrorist is between 20 and 30, clean shaven and wearing jeans. Also, 34 terrorist attacks have been carried out by females. For the most part, he said, the attacks since 2015 have been “lone wolf” attacks inspired by social media and incitement by the Palestinian leadership calling on Palestinians to protect the AL Aqsa Mosque (which isn’t in any danger).
He explained how the Israeli security services have been combatting the “Knife Intifada” (there have also been attacks with vehicles, rocks and guns) by monitoring social media trying to identify users who may attempt attacks and shutting down some social media that are openly inciting violence.
Rosenfeld was asked if ISIS is active among Palestinian or Israeli Arabs. While there has been one or two attacks in Tel Aviv carried out by Israeli Arabs in the name of ISIS, Rosenfeld reported that the terrorist organization has been prevented from taking root in Israel. Israeli security prevents suspected ISIS supporters from leaving the country. And potential ISIS terrorists are tracked through Facebook and other social media.
Rosenfeld noted that Israeli security personnel work closely with their European and American counterpart to counter international terrorism through intelligence sharing and joint training exercises. But the challenge in Western Europe is formidable, he said.
He noted that in England alone there are an estimated 950 former ISIS fighters who have returned from Syria to England. “It takes 50-60 security officers to track each potential terrorist,” he pointed out.
Features
New website for Israelis interested in moving to Canada
By BERNIE BELLAN (May 21, 2024) A new website, titled “Orvrim to Canada” (https://www.ovrimtocanada.com/ovrim-en) has been receiving hundreds of thousands of visits, according to Michal Harel, operator of the website.
In an email sent to jewishpostandnews.ca Michal explained the reasons for her having started the website:
“In response to the October 7th events, a group of friends and I, all Israeli-Canadian immigrants, came together to launch a new website supporting Israelis relocating to Canada. “Our website, https://www.ovrimtocanada.com/, offers a comprehensive platform featuring:
- Step-by-step guides for starting the immigration process
- Settlement support and guidance
- Community connections and networking opportunities
- Business relocation assistance and expert advice
- Personal blog sharing immigrants’ experiences and insights
“With over 200,000 visitors and media coverage from prominent Israeli TV channels and newspapers, our website has already made a significant impact in many lives.”
A quick look at the website shows that it contains a wealth of information, almost all in Hebrew, but with an English version that gives an overview of what the website is all about.
The English version also contains a link to a Jerusalem Post story, published this past February, titled “Tired of war? Canada grants multi-year visas to Israelis” (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-787914#google_vignette) That story not only explains the requirements involved for anyone interested in moving to Canada from Israel, it gives a detailed breakdown of the costs one should expect to encounter.
(Updated May 28)
We contacted Ms. Harel to ask whether she’s aware whether there has been an increase in the number of Israelis deciding to emigrate from Israel since October 7. (We want to make clear that we’re not advocating for Israelis to emigrate; we’re simply wanting to learn more about emigration figures – and whether there has been a change in the number of Israelis wanting to leave the country.)
Ms. Harel referred us to a website titled “Globes”: https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001471862
The website is in Hebrew, but we were able to translate it into English. There is a graph on the website showing both numbers of immigrants to Israel and emigrants.
The graph shows a fairly steady rate of emigration from 2015-2022, hovering in the 40,000 range, then in 2023 there’s a sudden increase in the number of emigrants to 60,000.
According to the website, the increase in emigrants is due more to a change in the methodology that Israel has been using to count immigrants and emigrants than it is to any sudden upsurge in emigration. (Apparently individuals who had formerly been living in Israel but who may have returned to Israel just once a year were being counted as having immigrated back to Israel. Now that they are no longer being counted as immigrants and instead are being treated as emigrants, the numbers have shifted radically.)
Yet, the website adds this warning: “The figures do not take into account the effects of the war, since it is still not possible to identify those who chose to emigrate following it. It is also difficult to estimate what Yalad Yom will produce – on the one hand, anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews and Israelis around the world reminds everyone where the Jewish home is. On the other hand, the bitter truth we discovered in October is that it was precisely in Israel, the safe fortress of the Jewish people, that a massacre took place reminding us of the horrors of the Holocaust. And if that’s not enough, the explosive social atmosphere and the difference in the state budget deficit, which will inevitably lead to a heavy burden of taxes and a reduction in public services, may convince Zionist Israelis that they don’t belong here.”
Thus, as much as many of us would be disappointed to learn that there is now an upsurge in Israelis wanting to move out of the country, once reliable figures begin to be produced for 2024, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that is the case – which helps to explain the tremendous popularity of Ms. Harel’s website.
Features
Message from a Palestinian in Gaza to protesters: “You’re hurting the Palestinian cause”
A very brave Palestinian who was willing to put his name to paper and write an article for Newsweek Magazine has exposed the utter hypocrisy of all those students – and others, who have been setting up encampments across the U.S. – and now Canada, too.
You can read the article at https://www.newsweek.com/message-gazan-campus-protesters-youre-hurting-palestinian-cause-opinion-1894313
Features
The Most Expensive Israeli Soccer Transfers
Even if Israel isn’t known as a world soccer power, it has produced plenty of talented players who have made a living in top European leagues. On more than one occasion, an Israeli international has commanded a rather large transfer fee. But who are the most expensive players in Israel’s history? The answer could be a little surprising. We took a look back to find the most expensive Israeli soccer transfers of all time.
Tai Baribo
In 2023, Baribo made the move to MLS, signing with the Philadelphia Union. The reported fee was around $1.5 million, which is one of the highest transfer fees the Union has ever paid for a player.
Omer Atzili
Throughout his career, Atzili has played for a variety of clubs, including stops in Spain and Greece. In 2023, he joined Al Ain in the UAE for a transfer fee of $2.1 million.
Maor Buzaglo
Now retired, Buzaglo was briefly the holder of the richest transfer deal for an Israeli player. After a couple of successful seasons on loan, Maccabi Tel Aviv paid $2.7 million to rival Maccabi Haifa for Buzaglo in 2008.
Dia Saba
Saba made history in 2020 when he joined Al-Nasr, making him the first Israeli player to play for a club in the UAE. At the time, it was a big deal for relations between the two countries. Al-Nasr also paid an impressive $2.9 million transfer fee for the midfielder.
Tal Ben Haim
On multiple occasions, Ben Haim has been sold for more than $1 million. First, there was his move from Hapoel Tel Aviv to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023 for close to $1.2 million. A few years later, Sparta Prague came calling for him, spending $3.1 million as a transfer fee for the winger.
Itay Shechter
During the prime of his career, Shechter was the type of player who warranted a seven-figure transfer fee. German club Kaiserslautern paid a little over $2.6 million in 2011 to bring Shechter to the Bundesliga from Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Daniel Peretz
When Peretz was sold to Bayern Munich, it wasn’t the most expensive deal involving an Israeli player, although it was arguably the most important. He became the first Israeli Jew to play at Bayern, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world. The transfer fee for Peretz paid by Bayern Munich to Maccabi Tel Aviv was around $5.4 million.
Oscar Gloukh
Gloukh is one of the best young Israeli players right now. He already has three international goals in a dozen appearances to his name. Somehow, Gloukh is already one of the most expensive players in Israel’s history. After coming up with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he moved to Austrian giant Red Bull Salzburg in 2023 for a transfer fee of close to $7.5 million. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him top that number one day.
Liel Abada
Abada has been a part of two huge transfer deals in his young career. In 2021, Scottish club Celtic paid $4.8 million to acquire him from Maccabi Petah Tikva. However, that number was topped in 2024 when Charlotte FC of MLS paid a fee of $8 million for Abada.
With Charlotte FC, Abada competes in North America’s top league, facing teams from both Mexico and Canada. Throughout North America, sports betting has taken off in recent years. That includes betting in Canada, where there is a large collection of trusted sports betting platforms.
Eran Zahavi
To date, Zahavi holds the record for the most expensive transfer fee paid for an Israeli player. It’s fitting for Israel’s former captain and all-time leading scorer. In 2016, Chinese club Guangzhou City paid $12.5 million to get Zahavi from Maccabi Tel Aviv. That record was nearly broken later that year when another Chinese club offered $20 million for Zahavi, who turned it down and stayed with Guangzhou City.