Herzog calls on Netanyahu to debate him

5 women testify against top cop on sex abuse

Five different female police officers have testified against Hagai Dotan but at this they do not want to officially lodge a complaint, Ynet reports. During their interrogation the five said they fear Dotan due to his position and reputation in the Israel Police.

Dotan reportedly used to verbally abuse the five and make comments of a sexual nature. The Police Investigation Department has in the past received testimonies about improper conduct by Dotan but they were not sufficient to call him in for investigation.

1 Egyptian soldier killed, 1 wounded in Sinai

One Egyptian soldier was killed and another wounded by terrorists in el-Arish, Israel Radio reports.

Egyptian security forces are in pursuit of the shooters.

Egypt also raises the alert level near the Gaza Strip border following intelligence reports that said Hamas was planning to hold demonstrations there, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency reports.

Israel appoints first-ever envoy to Lithuania

Israel’s first ambassador to Lithuania presented his credentials to President Dalia Grybauskaitė yesterday.

Following a short ceremony, Ambassador Amir Maymon and his embassy staff went to lay a wreath in the forest of Ponary, where during World War II more than 80,000 people were killed, including some 70,000 Jews.

Israel’s ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maymon visit a memroial for victims of the Ponary Forest Massacre, in Lithuania, February 4, 2015. (photo credit: Foreign Ministry)

Kerry to meet with Iranian FM in Germany

A US State Department official says that Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Munich, Germany, on Saturday to discuss the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (right) with US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) in Geneva, January 14, 2015. (photo credit: AFP/Rick Wilking/Pool)

The meeting with Zarif comes as an end-of-March target date for a framework nuclear deal approaches. Kerry and Zarif last met one-on-one in Geneva in January.

— AP

Putin ‘suffers from Asperger’s syndrome’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has Asperger’s syndrome, a 2008 study published by USA Today finds.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at his annual holiday news conference in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, December 18, 2014. (photo credit: AP/RIA Novosti Kremlin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

The Russian president suffers from “an autistic disorder which affects all of his decisions,” the report says.

His “neurological development was significantly interrupted in infancy,” it continues.

Read the full story here.

Gaza groups slam Egypt label of ‘terror group’

The military wings of several terror groups in the Gaza Strip condemn an Egyptian court’s decision to declare the military wing of Hamas, Azzadin al-Kassam Brigades, a terror organization, Ynet reports.

“We concentrate our efforts against Israel. This decision is disgraceful to us and a reward to Israel,” the organizations say in a statement.

At a press conference in Gaza City, representatives said the Egyptian court’s decision “does not reflect public opinion in Egypt. We call on the Egyptian people to oppose.”

Officer tells pregnant cop about ‘fantasies’

Another high-ranking police officer in a sex scandal: A female police officer complained early this week against Beersheba Police Commander Moshe Ivgy.

The female officer, five months pregnant, was approached by Ivgy near the end of an officers’ meeting some time ago and asked how many months pregnant she was. When the officer said she was five months pregnant, Ivgy – she alleges – told her he has a fantasy of having sex with a five-month pregnant woman.

She also said Ivgy contacted her on her cellphone and asked her to send him pictures of her wearing a dress.

Southern District Police said in a statement: “We trust the Police Investigating Department to examine this issue thoroughly. We are prevented at this stage from making any comment. The PID is looking into the allegations.”

The affair is unrelated to allegations against Coastal District Chief Hagai Golan.

Livni wants Lapid to vouch for Zionist Camp

Tzipi Livni says, “These elections are not about who has the better commercials.” She was answer ing a question on the campaign run by the Zionist Camp.

Speaking to Ynet, Livni slams the planned trip of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US, saying his accepting an invitation to address Congress without coordinating with the White House will create a situation where “when we need them [the US], no one on the other side of the phone in Washington will pick up.”

Livni asks Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid to publicly announce that he will recommend that the president grant the Zionist Camp and not Likud the responsibility of building the next coalition.

Assad regime raids kill 35 near Damascus

At least 35 people are killed Thursday by Syrian government airstrikes on rebel-held areas around Damascus, after opposition fighters fire dozens of mortar rounds into the capital, a monitor says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least four children are among the dead in the regime strikes on the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital.

— AFP

Kerry urges Russia to choose peace in Ukraine

US Secretary of State John Kerry, standing with Ukraine’s president after their talks in Kiev, urges Russia to show its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poreshenko (L) welcomes US Secretary of State John Kerry (R) during a bilateral meeting in Kiev, on February 5, 2015. Kerry flew in to Kiev where Ukraine’s pro-Western leaders hope Washington will send in weapons for their battle against pro-Russian separatists. (photo credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP)

Kerry says “our choice is diplomacy” and calls on Russia to demonstrate its commitment by ceasing its military support for the separatists and helping to bring them to the negotiation table.

He makes no mention during his public comments Thursday of the possibility of the US providing Ukraine lethal military aid.

— AP

Druze genome goes back 1,000 years – study

A new study finds that the Druze community began to genetically take shape all the way back in the 11th century and has managed to remain almost uninfluenced by other ethnic groups.

The study was prepared by Prof. Gil Atzmon from Haifa University, Prof. Jamal Zidane of Rivka Ziv Hospital in Safed and Prof. Eitan Friedman from Tel Aviv University and Sheba Hospital.

“This is the first genetic study that found the source of the Druze community to date to this period,” Prof. Atzmon is quoted by Haaretz as saying. The findings match the Druze community’s tradition about its origins.

There are approximately 1.5 million Druze people in the world today. Most live in Syria and the rest are divided between Israel and Jordan.

Members of the Druze community traditionally do not marry outside their faith.

Deri ‘can’t see Shas as part of left gov’t’

Shas leader Aryeh Deri says he cannot see his party sitting in a coalition led by a left-wing government.

“I certainly don’t see Shas sitting in a left-wing government, but a narrow right-wing government will also have a difficult time solving social issues,” Deri was quoted by Walla as saying.

“Netanyahu is very different with Shas not in the government with him. He is cruel toward the lower classes, and this is something I don’t want to happen.”

PA asks EU to push Israel on withheld taxes

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdalla meets with the European Union’s envoy to the PA and demands that the bloc apply pressure on Israel to release Palestinian tax monies, which have been held back for the past two months.

Israel stopped transferring tax money it collects on behalf of the Palestinian after the PA turned to the International Criminal Court at the Hague. The frozen funds, Ynet reports, amount to $200 million.

Grilling of top cop Dotan on sex charges ends

The interrogation of Israel Police Coastal District Commander Hagai Dotan at the Police Investigation Department comes to an end.

Dotan was grilled at the PID for four hours today and for 12 hours yesterday, Ynet reports.

He is suspected of sexually harassing five female officers. Dotan was expelled from police for two weeks and was prohibited from contacting other police officer during this period of time.

Likud still wins in newest poll

A new poll by Walla News shows that Likud would win 26 Knesset seats if elections were held today, beating the Zionist Camp by three seats.

The poll also says the united Arab list would win 12 seats, the same as Jewish Home, which is shrinking according to the Walla poll.

Yesh Atid would win 10 seats and Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu 8 seats. No margin of error was given.

Do the Palestinians want Netanyahu to win?

One would expect the Palestinian to wish for a victory by the Zionist Camp in the coming Israeli elections, but there are voices in the PA leadership that actually prefer Israelis to vote for a right-wing government.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during an Arab foreign ministers meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 [photo credit: AP/Amr Nabil]

PA President Mahmoud Abbas is one of the people “who completely support the Livni-Herzog camp,” a senior
Palestinian official tells Ynet, but the unnamed official also mentioned a “group that believes one should think the opposite. If Livni and Herzog win and make Israel’s next government, all the Palestinians’ diplomatic efforts will be stopped since the world’s countries will no longer support these steps which are gaining traction and will instead press the Palestinians to return to negotiations.”

This is why, the official explains, “this school of thought prefers a right-wing government whose main components are Netanyahu and Bennett. Abu Mazen [Abbas] does not subscribe to this school of thought. He is one of those who are in love with negotiations but there are those who see a significant rise in the Palestinians’ international standing side by side with a drop in Israel’s standing, all because of the policies of Netanyahu and Liberman. This is why, if there is a decision to continue the diplomatic onslaught, it must be with a right wing Bennett-Netanyahu government, which knows very well how to confront [US President] Barack Obama and spit in the face of the international community.”

Greece will ‘run out of money’ within 3 weeks

Greece will run out of money in three weeks, Bloomberg reports, quoting sources well-versed in the Greek economy.

The report comes a day after a European Central Bank announcement that it will stop honoring Greek government bonds as collateral. After the ECB announcement the interest rate for loans in Greek spiked and pushed the Middle Eastern country one step closer to the edge of economic chaos.

According to the Bloomberg report, Greece will stop receiving aid money from the “troika” – a nickname for the ECB, the International Monetary Fund and the EU Commission. The troika’s decision comes on the heels of incoming Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsypras’s reluctance to continue the austerity measures the EU forced on Greece in an effort to boost its flailing economy.

PA’s Abbas may visit Petah Tikva soon

PA President Abbas may make an unusual visit soon – to Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva – if he decides to visit Zakaria Alala, a high-ranking Fatah official who was hospitalized for renal failure.

Health officials tell Channel 2 that the hospital is preparing for the possibility that Abbas will come to visit the patient, but hospital staff refused to comment on the report.

In June the wife of Abbas, Umm Mazen, was hospitalized at Assuta hospital in Tel Aviv, after she needed to undergo a complex surgical procedure.

The room of Umm Mazen, or Amina Abbas, was heavily guarded and her identity was kept secret. The medical condition she suffered from was not disclosed but she needed to undergo a procedure not available in Palestinian-run hospitals.

PM consoles Jordan’s king over pilot’s murder

Prime Minister Netanyahu calls Jordanian King Abdullah to express his condolences for the “despicable murder” of Jordanian air force pilot Moaz Kasasbeh, who was burned to death by IS terrorists.

Netanyahu tells Abdullah that “all cultured people are shocked by this barbaric cruelty, against which the world must unite.”

Netanyahu also praises Abdullah’s decision to reinstate Jordan’s ambassador to Israel and the joint efforts by both countries in maintaining the status quo in the holy places.

Herzog says he answered questions on NGO affair

Labor leader Isaac Herzog says that he gave the state comptroller full details on the “NGO Affair” and answered some of the questions posed to him by the police, 20 years ago.

Opposition head MK Isaac Herzog addresses the crowd at the funeral for four French Jews killed in an attack at a kosher supermarket in Paris, on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 (screen capture)

Herzog has been accused of corruption after he used his right to remain silent during an investigation on NGOs which were used to illegally funnel funding for the election campaign of the Labor party under Ehud Barak in the 1990s.

Speaking at the Haifa Conference on Communications, hosted by Haifa University, Herzog says that back then he was a private lawyer, not a public personality. He also demands Prime Minister Netanyahu answer charges leveled by Haaretz journalist Uri Misgav, who claimed that Netanyahu promoted the private interests of mogul Sheldon Adelson during a state visit to Japan.

IS flags fly over Bosnian village

Islamic State flags were flown over houses in Bosnia, Reuters reports, then quickly removed after Bosnian police threatened to take steps against people flying the flags. The swift police action attests to the country’s fear of an infiltration by jihadists returning from Syria and Iraq.

Bosnia is a country with a secular Muslim majority, but the IS flags were flown on homes in Gornja Maoca, a village where many of the residents follow the Wahabbi stream of Sunni Islam. Police have already conducted several raids in the village for fear that it might become a radical Islamist stronghold.

Pictures can be seen here.

Boehner says inviting PM is ‘very good idea’

Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner says inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress was “a very good idea.”

Boehner is quoted by Reuters as saying that Netanyahu brings a message “Americans need to hear,” and Netanyahu is the perfect man to convey it. Iran’s threat, Boehner says, is a real threat to the region and the entire world, and the American people needs to be made aware of it.

New Israeli tech can cook food – on ice

A new Israeli start up says it has reinvented the microwave.

Read about it here.

A digital thermometer displays an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius in this salmon, which was cooked inside a block of ice in a Goji oven (Photo credit: Courtesy)

No boycotts on Bibi, Pelosi says, just ‘schedules’

Nancy Pelosi hints that when Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses Congress next month about Iran’s nuclear ambition, he may find himself speaking to less than a full House.

Asked whether Democrats may choose to boycott the prime minister’s speech, the minority leader of the House of Representatives says that “nobody ever said anything about boycotting,” and then adds with a smile, “Things happen and people schedule… they do.. you just never know…”

Netanyahu seems adamant not to let go of the idea, despite the pleas of staunchly pro-Israel Democrats to back off before it’s too late.

Iran’s nuclear aspirations are too important to be dismissed over the protocol of conduct a foreign leader should stick by in Washington – or, perhaps, the prime minister hopes his stubbornness in the face of the White House will bring in more votes.

Rivlin says Israel needs another Arab city

President Reuven Rivlin says Israel needs ” to create another Arab city, and [we] need to continue to deepen the integration of the Arabic language in all our children’s educations.”

President Reuven Rivlin meets with Arab mayors and heads of regional councils. (photo credit: Mark Neyman/GPO)

The president speaks during an official meeting of 50 Arab heads of local and regional municipalities in Israel. During the meeting, the attendees discuss issues of concern to the Arab sector, including integration and development – and agree upon the creation of a working group, managed by the President’s Office, to explore solutions to the issues raised.

Illegal structures in area C financed by EU

Illegal structures erected in area C and facing demolition bear plaques with the European Union’s flag, Channel 2 reports.

The IDF’s Civil Administration says in response that “no illegal structure is exempt from demolition.”

Zionist Camp to support disqualifying Zoabi

The Zionist Camp decided to support appeals calling to bar MK Hanin Zoabi from serving in the next Knesset, Haaretz reports.

Members of the joint Labor-Hatnua list did not initiate appeals calling to disqualify Zoabi but officials in the party say that when the issue is discussed by the Central Election Committee representatives of the party will support disqualifying Zoabi.

MK Hanin Zoabi appeals a Knesset Ethics Committee decision to ban her from all parliamentary discussions for six months, October 29, 2014 (photo credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90)

The controversial decision may cost the Zionist Camp the support of the united Arab list when the time comes, after the elections, for representatives of each party to recommend to President Rivlin who to entrust with building the coalition.

On the other hand, party insiders who were let in on the decision say it was made in the hope that Herzog and Livni can brand themselves centrists in an effort to lure what they call voters of the “soft right” – supporters of Yesh Atid and potential Kulanu voters.

Herzog calls on Netanyahu to debate him

Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog calls on Prime Minister Netanyahu to participate in a debate. In a video posted online, Herzog says “So Bibi, you don’t want to debate me? What’s your story? Are you afraid of me? Are your advisers telling you ‘don’t take him on’?”

“I just want to talk, you and me facing all of the people of Israel, after six years do you have anything new to say, to present? What are your plans? What is your diplomatic and economic plan? Why don’t you speak… you are good at talking.”

In closing Herzog says “I invite you to a debate, say when and where. The people of Israel await you.”

The prime minister did not respond to the call as of yet.

Watch Herzog’s clip (in Hebrew)