Arson and terrorism suspected in forest fire on Israel's main highway

As Israel's Independence Day comes about, many festivities had to sadly be cancelled because of a huge forest fire that broke out on the highway to Jerusalem, which is now suspected to have been terrorist-based arson:

Large brushfires were blazing Wednesday in the Eshtaol Forest on the outskirts of Jerusalem, forcing the evacuations of some communities and the closure of roads.

It was the second time in the space of a week that fires in the hills to the west of the capital have led to the evacuation of residents.

The Fire and Rescue Service reported fires were raging in at least five places in the Jerusalem hills.

It's very disturbing and disgusting. Breitbart notes:

Posts on social media showed the fire advancing on the outskirts of Jerusalem, as residents abandoned cars.

מטורף האש הגיע לכביש 1 כשהכביש עמוס, איבוד שליטה באזור כלל הכוחות מפונים למקום. pic.twitter.com/CPa4icQ3fN

— שלמה ⛈️ מזג אוויר (@MezgAvirIL) April 30, 2025

No injuries were reported, other than smoke inhalation, though the fires interrupted ceremonies marking Israel’s annual Yom Hazikaron, or Memorial Day, which commemorates fallen soldiers throughout the years.

Though the rehearsal of the special soldiers' march for the occasion was specially recorded and can be broadcast, this is still a terrible incident that had to happen. As the Jerusalem Post notes, terrorism is suspected:

Terrorism is suspected in the wave of massive fires that have triggered a national emergency across parts of Israel, according to an unnamed Israeli security source speaking to The Media Line. The fires erupted on Tuesday, as the country marked Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism and prepared to transition into celebrations for its 77th Independence Day.

The source confirmed that several arrests have been made in connection with the suspected arson attacks, but declined to provide further details due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation.

[...] “This is being treated as a national emergency,” the source said, pointing to evidence that suggests the fires were set deliberately and in a coordinated manner. The timing—on a day of national mourning followed immediately by celebrations of statehood—has raised concerns that the attacks were intended to provoke panic and undermine the national morale.

Hamas calls to set fires in Jerusalem, West Bank

Hamas posted a message encouraging Palestinians to "burn whatever you can of groves, forests, and settler homes," on Telegram on Wednesday.

"Youth of the West Bank, youth of Jerusalem, and those inside Israel, set their cars ablaze... Gaza awaits the revenge of the free," the terrorist organization wrote.

Earlier, the Jenin News Network Telegram channel called on Palestinians to "burn the groves near the settlements" in a post on Telegram on Wednesday.

As the wildfires continue to burn across central Israel, the channel posted a photo of a masked person setting fire to a field as a town burns in the background, with the text "Settlers' homes will be ashes under the feet of the revolutionaries" and the hashtag "Burn settlers' houses."

Well, if this is what Telegram allows to take place on their network, then I don't think I want to make use of their services. Anybody sane who's running a social media network should not allow jihadists to exploit their services. Who knows how much damage has also been caused in Europe as the result of the Telegram staff's incompetence? Anybody with common sense who realizes Telegram could be a bad influence should cancel their subscription immediately.

7 murdered in Neve Yaakov by Islamofascist from east Jerusalem, and 2 injured near City of David

A tragedy's struck the Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Yaakov, leaving 7 murdered:

At least seven people were killed and several others were injured, including one critically, in a shooting attack on the Ateret Avraham Synagogue in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem on Friday evening.

Magen David Adom paramedics evacuated five injured people to hospitals, including three who were evacuated to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, and two who were evacuated to Shaare Zedek Hospital. These include a man about 30 years old in critical condition and a woman about 60 years of age in moderate condition.

Initial reports indicate that a terrorist got out of a vehicle and opened fire at people who were gathered outside the synagogue, opened fire at them, and then continued to pursue frightened worshipers who were fleeing the scene.

The terrorist eventually fled the scene in a white Toyota and was met by police officers who shot him dead.

The terrorist has been identified as Alkam Khairi, a 21-year-old resident of eastern Jerusalem.

He should go to hell. Now we have to contend with terrorist attacks in neighborhoods like these that could've been prevented. And to make matters worse, there was another terrorist attack near the City of David area:

A father and son were injured in a shooting terror attack near the City of David archaeological site in Jerusalem.

The attack to place this morning, the shooter, reportedly a 13-year-old resident of east Jerusalem, was shot by two civilians.

MDA EMTs and Paramedics treated and conveyed two patients to the Shaare Tzedek Hospital. A 23 year old male in serious condition and his fatger, a 47 year old male, in moderate to serious condition, with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies.

MDA paramedic Fadi Dekidek: "We were quickly on scene and saw two gunshot victims. A 47 year old male and 23 year old male. They were fully conscious and had gunshot wounds to their upper bodies. We quickly moved them to the MICUs and conveyed them to Shaare Tzedek Hospital, with the young male in serious condition and the other male in moderate to serious condition."

So this one appears to have been the doing of a young teen. Which shows even younger kids indoctrinated with the Religion of Peace can be extremely dangerous, and that it's possible for them to be trained with firearms. Utterly horrific.

Update: the way the White House press secretary spoke about this, laced with moral equivalence, is also atrocious.

Shocka! ''The vast majority of Israeli Arabs don't want to go to Palestine''!

Rana Raslan a 21 year old Israeli Arab becomes Miss Israel 1999. ''She said: "It doesn't matter whether I am an Arab or a Jew . . .."

The vast majority of Israeli Arabs would not want to live in a future Palestinian state, a poll found . . . (article, plus links to several videos, continues on A Deeper Look).

Palestinian Scholars take time out for Torture

While at the University of Florida, there is much concern over the supposedly fanciful, and free speech-abusing, claim that Radical Islam Wants You Dead, life in Palestine shows the true complexity of things. Maybe it is actually the Radical Marxists who want you dead:

Classes at Birzeit University, in the West Bank, were suspended on Tuesday after escalating violence between Palestinian political groups on the campus.

Tension has been rising between supporters of President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement and the radical Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine over a West Bank security crackdown in which militants in the Popular Front, known as the PFLP, have been arrested by Fatah-dominated security forces.

The university’s administration decided to suspend classes and evacuate students from the campus after a Fatah-affiliated student was assaulted in his dormitory room, apparently by four men from the PFLP. The student, Ahmad Jarrar, was treated at a hospital for severe injuries suffered as he was apparently being tortured.

The assailants used charcoal to burn Mr. Jarrar’s face. They also hammered nails into his feet, according to eyewitnesses. Fatah gunmen then arrived at the campus and threatened to kill PFLP supporters.

It seems like student politics are taken much more seriously over there. A sign of too much free speech?

All kidding aside, here is yet another nightmare example of the kind of people whom all good opinion makers in the West want the Israelis to trust as "peace partners". Tonight there was a story on the CBC (Canadian national) television news showing some Palestinian reaction to George Bush and Condi Rice's Annapolis Peace Show. The thing was, these "Palestinians" were rather sane and intelligent-looking residents of East Jerusalem who are all of a sudden scared that a peace agreement, conceding East Jerusalem to a new Palestinian state, will mean they lose all the benefits of life in Israeli society, such as well-funded schools and hospitals, not to mention relative freedom and security. The "Palestinian" couple being interviewed couldn't quite bring themselves to say they were against East Jerusalem becoming part of "Palestine", but they were suddenly planning to relocate to another part of the city.

Isn't it nice how reality gets an occasional day in the news?