Terrorism

Banning Hizbollah

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:21:16 +0100

In January we revealed that David Cameron had asked the Jewish community to "make a noise" over Hizbollah, to help him persuade the EU to ban the terrorist organization.

There was - to put it mildly - some disquiet from No 10 that some of the community leaders present had seen fit to make public the Prime Minister's request. Be that as it may, there has indeed been a lot of noise on the subject. And Mr Cameron has now done what he said he would and formally requested that the EU proscribes Hizbollah. Much as the Prime Minister should be praised, it is little of short of astonishing that Hizbollah has ever been allowed to operate within the EU.

Funded primarily by Iran, Hizbollah is a terrorist outfit pure and simple and those who argue otherwise are either fools or knaves. But its EU fundraising is far from negligible and a ban on its activities would be a welcome blow.

Call for security review after Woolwich attack

Zoe Winograd — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:50:31 +0100

The Community Security Trust has issued a warning to Jewish organisations over security arrangements in the wake of the terror attack in Woolwich.

In a bulletin sent to over 1,000 groups, the CST urged that procedures at all communal buildings and events should be reviewed following the brutal murder of a soldier in a London street by Islamist terrorists.

While it stressed there was no evidence to suggest that the community would be targeted, it noted that “those who are willing to attack soldiers can also move to attacking Jews”.

CST said it had been consulting with police and Minister for Communities Don Foster over possible tensions between Jews and Muslims.

Meanwhile Israeli President Shimon Peres has sent a letter of condolence to the Queen.

He wrote: “I was deeply saddened and shocked to hear of the terrible attack yesterday in London,... it was an act of horrible brutality. I know that the people of Britain will stand strong in the face of this threat and the state of Israel stands side by side with them.”

Board of Deputies President Vivian Wineman expressed sympathy with the family of the murdered soldier. He said: "Our thoughts are with the victim of the horrific and barbaric murder, and with his family. We stand with other faith groups in deploring violence in the name of religion."

Israeli ambassador Daniel Taub also offered condolences. "Israel stands united with Britain, committed to do what we can together to defeat extremism and terror," he said.

The London Jewish Forum was among nine faith groups which issued a statement condemning the attack. “All of our religions exalt the sanctity of human life and no grievance could justify such a barbaric assault that has cost a young man his life. Terrorism has no place on our streets,” the statement said.

Tackling terrorism with technology

Sandy Rashty — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:33:16 +0100

An Israeli company is battling terrorism with technology used by government agencies across the globe.

Cellebrite, founded in 1999, is headquartered in Petah Tikva, Israel, and more than 50 per cent of the technology company’s $200 million average annual revenue stems from its forensics division — established in 2007.

The division develops software and hardware used to prevent terror activity. The sophisticated technology can retreive deleted or lost data from mobile phones, digital tablets and PCs — but it is only available to authorised government agencies and corporate organisations such as insurers.

“We recognised the need to create software capable of satisfying law enforcement needs,” says Cellebrite co-CEO Yossi Carmil, who has worked for the Israeli Ministry of Defence.

“Our Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) is able to retrieve data from a mobile phone — from the technology of a suspicious person.”

He says “someone could think that if they press delete the message is gone — but it’s not the case.”

With around 15,000 UFED devices deployed to agencies across 60 countries and with more than 50 per cent of forensic revenue stemming from the United States — the company is a recognised authority in the market. Clients have included the Indian army, West Yorkshire and Japanese police.

Cellebrite’s expertise extends to its retail division. The company’s Universal Memory Exchanger (UME) technology, targets the everyday mobile user. It facilitates back-up storage and the swift transfer of data from on device to another.

Mr Carmil explains that “the UME can access technology from a source to a target phone. You can transfer all your contacts from a Blackberry to an iPhone, from a Siemans to a Nokia and from a PC to iCloud using this device.”

It is a swift and convenient mechanism for consumers who can access the helpful facility at mobile retail stores.

In the UK, consumers access the service via the Carphone Warehouse, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodaphone stores. The global service sees 250,000 transactions each year at 145,000 stores.

“It was something that was never done before,” claims Mr Carmil. “It reduces barriers from each different phone.”

Without a doubt, Cellebrite is established in the mobile industry. But in a competitive digital market, the Israeli company faces challenges.

“Cellebrite suffers from the fact that we have to work hard not to lose our customers,” says Mr Carmil. “We have a lot of ideas but always try to keep our technology simple.

“In Hebrew we have a saying, keep it simple, even stupid.”

Mr Carmil, 46, grew up in Petah Tikva. He has worked as director of ITS Telecom and as vice president of mobile Siemens commercial division in Israel.

As part of the Cellebrite’s founding generation, he has watched it expand from five to 290 employees.

In 2007, Cellebrite was sold and is now a fully-owned subsidiary of the Japanese Sun Corporation. The sell was part of a “strategic decision to grow,” according to Mr Carmil.

He says it faciliates access to markets beyond Cellebrite’s subsidiaries in the US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Singapore and Brazil. The company has no Middle East base outside of Israel, but Mr Carmil says “there is no reason we can’t pursue other regions”.

www.cellebrite.com

West Bank stabbing, pinpoint strike in Gaza but ‘no escalation’

Anshel Pfeffer — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:45:44 +0100

Evyatar Borovsky, an actor and security guard from the settlement of Yitzhar, who was stabbed to death on Tuesday, was the first Israeli killed in a terror attack in the West Bank in nearly two years.

Hours later, Israel carried out the first “targeted killing” of a terror operative in Gaza in five months.

Although both incidents marked the end of significant lulls in certain kinds of violence, neither are seen by Israeli security officials as signs of an escalation in the West Bank or on Israel’s southern border.
Mr Borovsky, who was 31 years old, was killed at the Tapuach Junction near the town of Ariel while waiting for a lift.

The murderer, Salam Azuol from Tul Karm, grabbed Mr Borovsky’s pistol and started shooting at a Border Police post. He missed and, when the police returned fire, was shot and severely wounded.

According to the initial investigation, Azuol, a member of the Fatah movement, acted on his own initiative. His motive, aside from killing Israelis, could have been an attempt to “clear” his family’s name after his brother was accused of collaborating with Israel.

Following the murder, settlers in the area embarked on a widespread rampage which included burning Palestinian-owned fields and stoning their cars.

The settlers’ Yesha Council said the murder was “a direct continuation of the Palestinian Authority’s incitement and the forgiving attitude [of the Israeli authorities] towards stone-throwing attacks”.

While there has been an increase in stone-throwing against Israeli vehicles in the West Bank, and in “local” terror attacks, security officials say that the co-ordination with the Palestinian Authority security apparatus remains “close and useful” and that the main terror organisations have so far not succeeded in rebuilding their networks in the West Bank.

A couple of hours after the stabbing, a pinpoint airborne attack took place on the Gaza Strip coastal road, close to a Hamas training camp. The death of Hitham Mishal, 29, who was hit while riding his motorbike, was the first “targeted killing” carried out by the Israeli Air Force and the Shin Bet in the five months since the end of Operation Pillar of Defence last year in Gaza.

According to IDF sources, Mishal — who worked as a police officer — supplied rockets to jihadist groups operating in Gaza and Sinai and had provided the Grad rockets that were fired at Eilat two weeks ago.

Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said following the attack that Israel “will not allow a trickle of rockets from the Gaza Strip, and we will certainly not allow terrorists to leave Gaza and attack Eilat”.

Over the past five months, the ceasefire around Gaza has generally been observed but there have been sporadic attacks by jihadist groups which flout the authority of the Hamas government. One of these groups fired five mortar rounds in retaliation to Mishal’s killing but none of them hit targets in Israel.

Israeli security sources said that, due to Mishal’s “freelance” role, they did not expect any major retaliation.

Zionist Federation calls for Iranian Revolutionary Guard proscription

Marcus Dysch — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:50:15 +0100

The Zionist Federation has urged the British government and European Union to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation.

In a campaign launched this week, the ZF claimed the IRG was responsible for arms transfers to terrorist groups, had worked with al-Qaeda, backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, and had masterminded attacks against British citizens abroad.

ZF chairman Paul Charney said: “The EU and the UK must take practical steps to deal with international terrorism. By proscribing the IRG, they would be showing a commitment to fighting terrorism and protecting the security of EU citizens.”

A ZF petition calling for greater action had reached 50 signatures within the first 24 hours of being set up.

The IRG is an elite military unit charged with upholding the country's Islamic rule. It reports directly to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

Elements of the IRG are already designated under proliferation sanctions by the United Nations and EU, and are also listed as part of the EU sanctions against Syria. The IRG’s Quds Force paramilitary arm is subject to a global asset freeze and travel ban.

Five of its leading members, including commander Major General Qasem Soleimani, have been proscribed in Britain and across Europe for involvement in terrorist activities. But the IRG is not proscribed as an organisation in Britain or designated as a terrorist group by the EU.

A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton said “concrete measures” had already been taken, but did not comment further on the ZF campaign or prospect of full proscription.

Senior Salafist terrorist killed in Israeli air strike

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:57:35 +0100

A senior Salafist terrorist has been killed in Gaza.

An Israeli Air Force strike killed 29-year-old Hitam al-Mahsal near a Hamas training base on Tuesday morning. Reportedly, Mahsal was responsible for the rocket attack on Eilat from the Sinai Peninsula on April 17.

Mahsal was deemed an “explosives expert” by the IDF.

This was the first time Israel has targeted a terrorist in Gaza since Operation Pillar of Defence last year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Today we struck at one who was involved in the rocket fire at Eilat. I said we wouldnt ignore this, our action is continuation of our policy."

Israeli stabbed to death in West Bank

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:19:28 +0100

An Israeli man was stabbed to death by a Palestinian on Tuesday morning.

Eviatar Borovsky, 30, from Yitzhar, was attacked at Tapuach Junction in the north of the West Bank.

According to sources, after Mr Borovsky was killed, the Palestinian man from Tul Karn took the Israeli’s firearm to shoot at border police.

The police retaliated, wounding the attacker who was evacuated to Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva. He was then taken in to custody. Mr Borovsky, father of five children, was declared dead when Magen David Adom arrived at the scene.

Rabbi Chaim Goldberg was at the junction this morning. He said: “I saw three young women jump into the street. I then heard shots fired. I noticed a person who was lying on the ground get up with a gun in his hand. I slowed down and ducked so he wouldn't see me. I then called the emergency centre to notify them about the incident. ”

The checkpoint at Tapuach Junction was removed a few months ago on order of former Minister of Defence Ehud Barak.

Coalition chair member of Knesset Yariv Levin said: "I call on the IDF to reinstate the checkpoints which were removed and to shut down the Tapuach Junction to all Palestinian traffic."

This is the first Israeli to be killed in the West Bank since September 2011.

New York synagogue terror plotter sent to jail

Zoe Winograd — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:39:05 +0100

A man who planned to blow-up synagogues in New York has been sentenced to five years in jail.

Mohamed Mamdouh pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit terrorism and possessing criminal weapons last year. New York State Supreme Court issued the jail sentence on Friday.

Mr Mamdouh, a naturalised citizen originally from Morocco, acted as the accomplice to Algerian immigrant Ahmed Ferhani, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last month.

The two men had planned to wear clothes worn by Chasidic Jews in order to enter and attack synagogues. They were arrested after buying firearms and a grenade from an undercover detective.

Israelis helped prepare Boston hospital for mass-casualty event

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:38:57 +0100

An Israeli team has been credited for having prepared the Massachusetts General Hospital for the current influx of victims of the Boston marathon bombing.

Seventeen critically injured people are being treated at the hospital after two explosions in downtown Boston on Tuesday afternoon.

Alastair Conn, Chief of Emergency Services at Massachusetts General Hospital told reporters: “About two years ago in actual fact we asked the Israelis to come across and they helped us set up our disaster team so that we could respond in this manner.”

According to the Algemeiner, when Dr Conn was asked about the explosions, “Would you characterise these as almost something you would see in a military setting?”

He responded: “Absolutely, this is like a bomb explosion that we hear about in the news in Baghdad, or Israel or some other tragic place in the world.”

At the latest count, the attacks have killed three and injured 140.

The two devices exploded amongst spectators near the finish line.

Rabbi Mayer Zarchi from Boston Chabad synagogue was at the scene. He said: “People just started running away from the centre, from the finish line.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before – the nature of the carnage, you can’t really articulate it in words. It was unreal.”

Abraham Foxman ADL National Director said in a statement: “Like all Americans, we were deeply shocked by the apparent bombing of the Boston Marathon. It is sad that any time a bomb explodes in public place we are conditioned as a first reflex to think of it as a terrorist attack; but unfortunately, in this instance it appears that our fears have been realised.”

When asked whether it was a terrorist attack, Boston Police commissioner Ed Davis told reporters: "We're not being definitive about this right now, but you can reach your own conclusions based on what happened."

At a briefing at the White House, US President Barack Obama said: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight. Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss."

"We will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable," he said. "Make no mistake, we will find out who did this and why they did this, and the groups or individuals responsible will feel the full weight of justice."

Bercow leads tributes to shot Israeli ambassador

Jennifer Lipman — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:40:24 +0000

The House of Commons Speaker led tributes in Parliament to an Israeli ambassador who was shot at point-blank range 31 years ago, to mark ten years since he succumbed to his injuries.

John Bercow emphasised the importance of Israelis serving free from the threat of barbarity in a ceremony honouring Shlomo Argov, who served as Israel’s envoy to Britain for three years.

Mr Argov was shot by three attackers in June 1982 as he left London’s Dorchester Hotel.

Following the assassination attempt, he underwent emergency brain surgery and was left almost totally paralysed for the remaining 21 years of his life, in need of constant medical attention. He died at the age of 73 in Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital.

One of the three attackers, said to be affiliated with Abu Nidal’s Palestinian terrorist group, was shot by security guards at the scene; the other two were later jailed. The assassination attempt is widely seen as one of the events that led to the first Lebanon war.

Mr Bercow declared: “Upon one thing as democrats and freedom lovers, we should be united and utterly unyielding — and that is the principle that people should be allowed and encouraged to go about their lawful business, without the threat that they will be victims of a monstrous act of barbarity” .

Daniel Taub, the present Israeli ambassador to the UK, observed that it was fitting that the ceremony was being held at Parliament “since the attack on Ambassador Argov wasn’t simply an assault on Israel, it was an assault on Britain, on British soil and on British values”.

It was one of a number of ceremonies held to mark the decade since Mr Argov’s death, with Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt speaking at one outside the Dorchester, with Mr Argov’s granddaughters in attendance.