Israelis Prepare for Memorial Day

Israelis were preparing to mark the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism Tuesday evening. 23, 447 Israelis have died as a result of hostile action since the modern Zionist movement began in 1860 with the founding of the Mishkenot Sha’ananim neighborhood outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. In the past year, there have been 68 Israeli soldiers and civilians killed by terrorists while 58 disabled IDF veterans died of their wounds.

A Palestinian terrorist who was 13 last October when he and his cousin carried out a stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhood was convicted on two counts of attempted murder Tuesday morning in Jerusalem District Court. His lawyer, who promised to appeal the conviction, said her client had not actually stabbed anyone and had only wanted to “scare” Jewish civilians, but this contradicted what he himself told police when he was arrested.

Despite strong security ties between Israel and Egypt, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi recently assured Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that he would use Cairo’s authority as the incoming chair of the UN Security Council in May to advance Palestinian interests. Israeli officials are bracing for what many will be tough diplomatic battles at the UN this summer.

Hamza Bin Laden, the son of former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, issued a statement this week calling for Moslem groups to put their differences aside and concentrate on the effort to “liberate Jerusalem” and to “participate in the intifada” by “killing the Jews and attacking their interests everywhere.” He also demanded that Moslems attack the US and other countries which support Israel in any way. Analysts noted that the statement marks a shift in jihadist rhetoric which has heretofore not focused primarily on targeting Israel.