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DAILY EDITION accuweather.com87°Low of 76°Humid with clouds and sunWind: S 6-12 MPHHFRIDAYHHSHABBOSTODAY IN NEW YORKNEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans celebrated their nation’s 242nd anniver-sary of independence on Wednesday with concerts, parades and a voracious dis-play of hot dog-eating prow-ess in New York, as many cities and towns prepared for traditional fireworks dis-plays after sundown.The Fourth of July holi-day marks the adoption of the Declaration of Indepen-dence by congressional dele-gates in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.The document declared the young nation’s indepen-dence from Great Britain and advanced the principleYERUSHALAYIM (Hamo-dia/Reuters) – Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Wednesday that he considers it “absolutely unacceptable” to question the right of Israel to exist or call for the state’s destruc-tion.Kurz has said this before, but what made it more newsworthy was that this time he said it at a joint press conference in Vienna with Iran’s President Hassan Rou-hani sitting alongside him.The 31-year-old Aus-trian leader later put it into a tweet for posterity: “In my meeting with President Rouhani I also emphasizedAmericans Celebrate Independence DayAustrian Leader Rebukes Iran’s RouhaniAP Photo/Matt DunhamA British police o cer guards a cordon outside the Queen Elizabeth Gardens park in Salisbury, England, Wednesday. NEW YORKBREAKINGISRAELWarm in Blankets, Thai Boys Smile, Joke With Rescuer in Cave Page 3President Hails ‘American Heroes’ Who Helped U.S. Win IndependencePage 2Route 495 Trac ‘Nightmare’ for New York-Bound Motorists, But When?Page 4Liberty Island Evacuated After Protester Climbs StatuePage 5Five Small Earthquakes Hit Northern IsraelPage 6Indictment: Segev ‘Aided Iran in Its War Against Israel’Page 6Israel Warns Syria Not to Enter Buer Zone Near BorderPage 7Story on page 2THURSDAYContinued on page 6Continued on page 2Two Britons Poisoned by Russian Nerve AgentBoth victims are in a coma, reside near stricken Russian spy80°83°DAILY VOL. XV - NO. 3449 // July 5, 2018ח“עשת ,זומת ב“כ // חניפ תשרפ ,ה“בDAILY EDITION 50¢ CATSKILLS 75¢DAILY222 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018 THURSDAYBreakingAMESBURY, England (Reuters) – Two British citizens are critically ill after they were exposed to Novichok, the same nerve agent that struck down a former Russian agent and his daughter in March, Britain’s top counter-terror-ism ocer said on Wednesday.The pair, a local 44-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man, were hospital-ized after being found unwell on Satur-day in Amesbury, just miles away from Salisbury where ex-double agent Ser-gei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were attacked in March.“I have received test results from Porton Down (military research center) which show that the two people have been exposed to the nerve agent Novi-chok,” Neil Basu, Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism ocer, told report-ers.Britain has accused Russia of poi-soning the Skripals with Novichok — a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military during the Cold War — in what is the first known oensive use of such a chemical weapon on European soil since World War Two.Russia has denied any involvement in their poisoning.U.K. counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation, though Basu said it was unclear how the two people came into contact with the nerve agent or whether they had been specifically targeted.“I don’t have any intelligence or evi-dence that they were targeted in any way,” Basu said. “There is nothing in their background to suggest that at all.”Amesbury is located seven miles north of Salisbury, where Skripal — a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain’s MI6 foreign spy service — and his daughter were found slumped unconscious on a bench on March 4.Around 100 counter-terrorism ocers are working on the case and police have cordoned o at least five dierent areas, including a park and a property in Salisbury, as well as a pharmacy and a Baptist church com-munity center in Amesbury.The March attack prompted the biggest Western expulsion of Russian diplomats since the Cold War as allies in Europe and the United States sided with Prime Minister Theresa May’s view that Moscow was either respon-sible or had lost control of the nerve agent.Mystery surrounds the attack and the motive is unclear, as is the logic of using such an exotic nerve agent which has overt links to the Soviet military during the Cold War.Health chiefs said on Wednesday the risk to the public was low, though the exposure of two people apparently unconnected to espionage or the for-mer Soviet Union will stoke fears that traces of the nerve agent remain in the area.“As the country’s chief medical ocer, I want to reassure the pub-lic that the risk to the general public remains low,” England’s Chief Medi-cal Ocer Sally Davies told reporters.Two Britons Poisoned With Novichok Nerve Agent Near Where Russian Spy Was Struck DownAP Photo/Charlie RiedelA man walks past U.S. flags on display for Independence Day Wednesday, July 4, 2018, in Merriam, Kan. STERLING, Va. (AP) – President Donald Trump wished America a happy Fourth of July holiday Wednes-day and reserved special praise for the “American heroes” whose sacri-fice he said helped the nation win her independence 242 years ago.Mr. Trump tweeted a short video that included well wishes from him and First Lady Melania Trump. The Trumps were hosting a White House picnic for military families, followed by a concert and viewing of the fire-works on the National Mall.“Our freedom has been earned through the blood and sweat and sac-rifice of American heroes,” Trump said.Trump got into the Independence Day spirit a day earlier by celebrating active-duty service members during a military tribute Tuesday night in White Sulphur Springs, West Virgin-ia. At the “Salute to Service” charity dinner, Trump praised “Americans of every generation” who have served in the armed forces.Trump Hails ‘American Heroes’ Who Helped U.S. Win IndependenceContinued from page 1Hamodia Daily [USPS Periodical pending] is published Daily 4 times a week except weeks of Passover & Sukkos. The subscription price of $200.00 per year by Hamodia, 207 Foster Ave Brooklyn NY 11230. Application to mail at periodicals postage prices is pending at Brooklyn, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address change to Hamodia, 207 Foster Ave Brooklyn NY 11230“that all men are created equal,” and had “certain unalienable rights” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”On a day that features count-less patriotic parades nation-ally, the pro gun control group Moms Demand Action held sev-eral marches around the country, including one in Webster Groves, Missouri, where Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill joined them. “It was hot! But wonderful,” McCaskill said on Twitter. New York was preparing to put on an evening fireworks display that ranks as the country’s largest, according to Macy’s, the retailer that sponsors the annual event.In recent years, law enforce-ment agencies have been on the alert for suspicious activity dur-ing the holiday celebrations. O-cials said they were taking extra precautions this year, but have not detected any credible security threats.An Ohio man was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of planning to detonate a bomb at Cleveland’s Fourth of July celebrations.On July 4th, Americans Celebrate C.B. Schmelter/Chat-tanooga Times Free Press via APFireworks light up the sky at Coolidge Park over the Tennessee River on Tuesday night, in Chattanooga, Tenn. 3THURSDAY 22 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018BreakingMAE SAI, Thailand (AP) – Their skinny faces illuminated by a flash-light, the Thai soccer teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave said they were healthy on a video released Wednesday, as heavy rains forecast for later this week could complicate plans to safely extract them.The 12 boys and their coach are seen sitting with Thai navy SEALs in the dark cave. The boys, many wrapped in foil warming blankets, take turns introducing themselves, folding their hands together in a tradi-tional greeting and saying their names and that they are healthy.The video lasting about a minute was recorded sometime Tuesday and was posted on the navy SEAL social media page Wednesday morning. The navy later released two more videos of the boys.The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Chiang Rai province after a game June 23. The teammates, who were trapped inside when heavy rains flooded the cave, were found by rescue divers late Monday night during a desper-ate search that drew assistance from experts around the globe.Authorities said the boys, who had also been shown Tuesday in a video shot by the British diver who discov-ered them, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.In all of the videos the boys have appeared in good spirits. In the most recent videos a navy SEAL is shown treating minor cuts on the feet and legs of the boys with antibiotic ointment. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.Seeing the boys has boosted the mood of relatives, and ocials are working to install an internet cable to the cave so that parents can talk to their children.Kian Kamluang, whose 16-year-old son Pornchai is inside, said she had thought it was a 50 percent chance that her son would be found.“It’s like he has been given a new life,” she said, adding that she’ll never let her son go into a cave or near water again.SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew said Tuesday that there was no rush to bring the group out of the cave, since they’re safe where they are. The current flooding situation means the boys would have to dive, which rescue experts have said could be extremely dangerous.While eorts to pump out flood-waters are continuing, some Thai o-cials have indicated that heavy rains forecast for this weekend could force them to decide the boys should swim and dive out using the same compli-cated route of narrow passageways through which their rescuers entered.Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narong-sak Osatanakorn said Wednesday that the boys have been practicing wearing diving masks and breathing, but he doesn’t believe they have attempted any practice dives.He said it is unknown when an extraction could be attempted, but it is unlikely to be Wednesday.“If it’s risky or not safe, we will not proceed yet,” Narongsak said. “It has to be 100 percent safe.”Authorities said they were still exploring other options, such as scour-ing the mountainside for other ways into the cave and finding faster ways to pump water from the cave.Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are for now, and wait for the water to go down. That could take months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October.The British Cave Rescue Council, which has members taking part in the operation, said in a statement that “although water levels have dropped, the diving conditions remain dicult and any attempt to dive the boys and their coach out will not be taken light-ly, because there are significant tech-nical challenges and risks to consider.”Gary Mitchell, the group’s assistant vice chairman, said getting out of the cave requires about a half a mile of div-ing total, though not all in one stretch, and takes about three hours.“There’s air pockets along the way,” he said. “It’s confined spaces. It’s almost zero visibility. There’s currents to battle against in places as well. So it’s really quite a strenuous environ-ment to be in,” he said.Warm in Blankets, Thai Boys Smile, Joke With Rescuer in CaveRoyal Thai Navy Facebook Page via APThai boys smile as a Thai Navy SEAL medic helps those injured inside a cave in Mae Sai, northern Thailand. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – A res-cue ship carrying 60 migrants arrived Wednesday in a Spanish port after being refused entry by Italy and Malta, the second time in a month that a humanitarian group has been forced to travel for days to unload people res-cued in the central Mediterranean.The Italian government is block-ing private rescue boats that it blames for encouraging human trackers to launch unseaworthy boats loaded with migrants toward Europe.But the aid groups deny having any link to smugglers in Libya or else-where, and say they are being forced to leave unattended the busy migrant sea transit route where deaths are mount-ing while they make the long journey to Spain.The Open Arms rescue ship com-pleted a four-day journey to Barcelona, in northeastern Spain, after it saved 60 people Saturday from a rubber boat floating in waters north of Libya.The migrants come from 14 coun-tries. The Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms said they were generally in good health but some may have fuel burns.The group’s founder, Oscar Camps, refused to celebrate bringing the res-60 Migrants Refused by Italy and Malta Arrive in BarcelonaEx-Malaysia Leader Najib Charged With Breach of Trust, GraftKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged Wednes-day with criminal breach of trust and corruption, two months after a multibillion-dollar graft scandal at a state investment fund led to his stunning election defeat.He pleaded not guilty to all charg-es. “I claim trial,” he said in a barely audible voice as he stood in the dock at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. A judge set bail at 1 million ringgit in cash ($250,000) and ordered Najib to surrender his two diplomatic passports.The patrician, luxury-loving Najib, wearing a suit and a red tie, appeared calm and smiled as he was escorted into the court complex. He was arrested Tuesday by anti-graft ocials over the suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.4 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB state investment fund that U.S. investigators say was looted of billions by associates of Najib.Najib was charged with abuse of power leading to gratification under Malaysia’s anti-corruption law and three counts of criminal breach of trust. Each charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Whip-ping is also a penalty, but Najib would be exempt because of his age.AP Photo/Olmo CalvoGuillermo Cañardo, chief of mission, and Marco Martinez Esteban, captain of the Open Arms boat, with refugee Khingsley Dokowada, 9, of Central African Republic, aboard the Open Arms aid boat, of Proactiva Open Arms Spanish NGO.cued migrants to port. He said he was angry about being turned away by European Union countries and having to leave behind other migrants who reportedly drowned.The migrants were going through health checks and identification pro-cedures. Authorities granted them a 30-day permit to apply for residence or asylum in the European Union.422 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018 THURSDAYNew YorkTwitterL-R: Simcha Eichenstein, candidate for NYS Assembly District 48, and NY State SenatorSimcha Felder celebrate Independence Day debating at the Bobov Day Camp vote in their mock presidential election. Route 495 Trac ‘Nightmare’ for New York-Bound Motorists, But When?WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (AP) – With a lengthy highway construction proj-ect looming that could turn one of the Northeast’s worst trac bottle-necks into the stu of nightmares, local ocials whose towns could be overrun by frustrated motorists say they’re still in the dark on some aspects of the plan.When lanes will be closed on the busy Route 495 viaduct connect-ing the New Jersey Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel is one unanswered question. In recent weeks, the state Department of Transportation has said its $90 million project to rebuild the bridge and roadway will require closing a lane in each direc-tion beginning in “mid-summer.”On Tuesday, a department of transportation spokesman said it would be “later this summer.” Sev-eral local ocials involved with discussions with the department said community outreach eorts are still underway, and questions linger about handling trac overflow, an indication the start could be some time away.The pothole-ridden 80-year-old viaduct cuts through parts of Secau-cus, North Bergen, Union City and Weehawken and accommodates more than 150,000 motorists daily. Local ocials acknowledged the need to replace the bridge structure, which is considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. But some expressed concerns about logistics.Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, whose town is situated over the entrance to the tunnel, said he hasn’t been given a firm starting date for the lane closures, and has yet to meet with top state transportation ocials about the project, though he expects that will happen soon.“We’re very concerned about the impact on trac, and the resulting trac jams on our local streets,” Turner said. “We are extremely con-cerned about emergency vehicles getting through.”Turner noted that on a Saturday last month, a delay on Route 495 leaving New York left trac at a standstill and forced many motor-ists onto the cramped streets of his town and others. That doesn’t bode well for trac during the bridge reconstruction, when the lanes will be closed 24/7, he said.“I can’t imagine what is going to happen on a weekday,” Turner said.According to the department’s website, the work can’t be per-formed solely during nighttime hours because the nature of the bridge work makes it impossible to replace portions each night and then allow trac back on it during the daytime.The department’s plan includes detours for cars and trucks using Routes 1 and 9 northbound and southbound, where ramps from 495 will be closed o. That is likely to clog streets in Secaucus in a part of town that is home to outlets and big-box stores.Turner and Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli both said the state hasn’t committed to reimbursing their towns for police overtime that likely will be required for trac management.Gonnelli said the trac overload has the potential to be “a nightmare either way.”“We’re downstream from where this is happening, but we are aect-ed anytime something happens, and we’re aected badly,” he said. “I try to take my wife out to eat on a Friday night, and you can’t get out of town.”AP Photo/Mark LennihanA portion of Route 495 in Weehauken, N.J. 44 New U.S. Citizens Welcomed In Ceremony Aboard BattleshipCAMDEN, N.J. (AP) – Several dozen people are among the newest United States citizens following a natural-ization ceremony aboard a battle-ship in New Jersey.NJ.com reports that 44 people from 26 dierent countries ranging from Bangladesh to Vietnam were administered the oath of allegiance Wednesday by U.S. District Court Deputy Clerk Trish Hruschka.The ceremony was held on the forecastle or forward deck of the USS New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey, with the Philadelphia skyline across the Delaware River serving as a backdrop.In 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services welcomed 729,995 citizens during naturaliza-tion ceremonies in the United States and around the world.Joe Lamberti/Camden Courier-Post via APGuests board the USS New Jersey for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony Wednesday, July 4, 2018 in Camden, N.J.5THURSDAY 22 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018New YorkNew York Has $525k Available for Tree-Planting ProjectsALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – New York state has $525,000 in grants available for tree-planting projects.The Trees for Tributaries Pro-gram is designed to support streamside tree- or shrub-plant-ing projects. The goal of the state Department of Environmental Conservation program is to im-prove wildlife habitats, water quality and storm resiliency.Grants from $11,000 to $100,000 will be distributed to municipalities, academic institu-tions and not-for-profits.Applications are due by Sept. 7.Visiting New York Responders Save Drowning Florida GirlDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Police in Florida say two visiting New York first responders helped save a 3-year-old girl who was drown-ing in a hotel swimming pool.WFTV in Orlando reports that New York State Trooper Matthew Colwell and Jessica Campeta, a firefighter from Hudson, New York, pulled the child from the deep end of the pool at the La Quinta Inn in Daytona Beach on Tuesday evening.Court Blocks Release of New York Police Body Camera FootageNEW YORK (AP) – An appeals court is blocking the release of New York City police body cam-era footage at least until it hears arguments in November.An Appellate Division panel is-sued the injunction as the city’s largest police union fights to block the public disclosure of the foot-age. An Appellate Division judge granted an initial stay in May af-ter a lower court ruled against the union.Man Steals Boat, Crashes It on Park BulkheadTUCKERTON, N.J. (AP) – Authorities say a man stole a boat from a New Jersey marina — but he didn’t get far.Tuckerton firefighters were called at 11:25 p.m. Tuesday to the South Green Street Park where they found a boat that had been stolen from Total Marine in Little Egg Harbor crashed into the new park bulkhead at high speed.Ocials say a man spotted under the deck of an abandoned house was arrested. Regional BriefsYeshiva and Mesivta Torah VodaathThe American flag hangs outside Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Kensington, Brooklyn, as a tribute, according to the yeshivah, “to the thousands of our students who have come from around the world, and have made the Yeshiva and the USA their home for the last 100 years.”Liberty Island Evacuated After Protester Climbs StatueNEW YORK (AP) – Liberty Island has been evacuated because of a climber at the Statue of Liberty.A person climbed the statue’s base on the Fourth of July shortly after several people were arrested after hanging a banner from the statue’s pedestal calling for abolishing Immi-gration and Customs Enforcement.News helicopter video showed the climber sitting Wednesday by the bottom of the statue’s robes, about 100 feet above ground. Police nearby tried to persuade the climber to descend.Earlier, National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis said at least six people were taken into custody for the banner, which read “Abol-ish I.C.E.,” referring to part of the Department of Homeland Security.Willis says federal regulations prohibit hanging banners from the monument.Banner organizing group Rise and Resist says the climber isn’t con-nected to its demonstration.AP PhotoThis image taken from video shows people climbing on the side of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal on Wednesday, in New York. New Jersey Sets Aside $5m for Pilot Local News ProgramTRENTON, N.J. (AP) – The state has set aside $5 million for a trail-blazing nonprofit group seeking to boost coverage of local news in New Jersey.Advocates see the pilot project as an important and innovative way to use public money to encourage more local news reporting follow-ing a sharp decline in such coverage industry-wide in recent years.Detractors worry the model could lead to government interfer-ence.Lawmakers say the funding, which was included in the state budget signed Sunday by Democrat-ic Gov. Phil Murphy, will help focus more reporting on local issues in a state dominated by the New York and Philadelphia media markets.The idea for the initiative sprang from the eorts of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Free Press Action Fund, which held community forums on residents’ concerns about dwin-dling local news coverage, leading to legislation creating the Civic Infor-mation Consortium.The bill, which awaits the gover-nor’s signature, sets up a charitable and education organization with a 15-member board.622 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018 THURSDAYIsraelthat Israel’s security is non-negotia-ble for us. Questioning Israel’s right to exist or downplaying the Holocaust is absolutely unacceptable.”Israel’s security wasn’t the only issue on the agenda to make Rouhani squirm on Wednesday. The case of one of its Vienna-based diplomats who was arrested in Germany over a suspected plot to carry out a bomb attack on an exiled Iranian opposition group, was at the top of the agenda. Iran promised to help clarify the mat-ter, according to Reuters.The case cast a shadow over Rou-hani’s visit to Austria, at which both sides discussed issues including sal-vaging the Iran nuclear deal after the U.S. decision to withdraw and rein-state sanctions on Tehran. “We expect full clarification in connection with this and I thank you, Mr. President, for assuring us that you will support this clarification,” Aus-trian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in a statement to reporters after meet-ing Rouhani. Rouhani did not mention the dip-lomat in his remarks; and the two leaders took no questions. Austria summoned Iran’s ambas-sador over the case on Monday and said it was stripping the arrested Ira-nian of his diplomatic status. Belgian authorities identified the diplomat as 46-year-old Assadollah A, and said he is suspected of hav-ing been in contact with two people arrested in Belgium with 500 grams of the homemade explosive TATP and a detonation device in their car. Their alleged target was a rally near Paris last weekend of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) — an umbrella organization of opposi-tion groups in exile that seek an end to Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran. Belgium also issued a European arrest warrant for a man of Iranian origin being held in France suspected of being involved in the alleged plot, a French judicial source said. U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as well as for-mer European and Arab ministers, attended the NCRI meeting. The NCRI held a small protest against Rouhani’s visit on the edge of the area of central Vienna that police sealed o. Foreign ministers from the remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal — Iran, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China — will meet in Vienna on Friday to discuss salvaging the accord. European powers are putting together an economic package aimed at safeguarding the deal by shielding Iran from some of the impact of U.S. sanctions resuming. Rouhani has said Iran will stay in the accord if its inter-ests are preserved. An Iranian ocial said Rouhani was also due to meet the head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is policing the restrictions the deal places on Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Rouhani’s one-day visit to Aus-tria followed a longer trip that was planned two years ago, but which he canceled at the last minute on unspecified security grounds. REUTERS/Lisi NiesnerIran’s President Hassan Rouhani (L) and Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz attend a news conference at the Chancellery in Vienna, Wednesday.Continued from page 1Austrian Leader Rebukes Iran’s Rouhani in Joint Press ConferenceFive Small Earthquakes Hit Northern IsraelDROR HALAVYIsrael was struck with four earthquakes early Wednesday, and another Wednesday night. The two earlier quakes measured 4.2 and 3.2 on the Richter scale and were felt by residents of much of northern Israel. Residents of Teveria and the other towns and cities near the northern Kineret reported that their houses shook, and in some cases items fell o tables. No injuries or substantial damage was reported. At 6:50 a.m, a third quake, measuring 2.1 on the Richter scale, was recorded, followed by a stronger one, measuring 3.8. No injuries or damage were reported in those quakes either.Israel in recent years has sus-tained numerous small earthquakes, but the potential for a “big one” defi-nitely exists, as Israel sits squarely on the Syria-Africa Rift, also known as the Great Rift Valley. A devastat-ing earthquake hit Tzfas in 1837. Thousands were killed in that earth-quake, which was felt as far north as Beirut. Tzfas was almost completely destroyed, and there was substantial damage in Teveria and in Arab vil-lages in the Galilee. Another large earthquake centered around Yeri-cho took place in 1927, destroying hundreds of structures and killing at least 300.Israel has invested a great deal of money in recent years upgrading apartments, oces and factories to be able to withstand earthquakes..Barghouti Leads in Poll To Succeed AbbasRAMALLAH (Reuters) – Marwan Barghouthi, a Palestinian Intafada leader jailed for life by Israel on mul-tiple murder charges, would win the most votes if an election were held to find a successor for 82-year-old Pales-tinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a survey released on Wednes-day found.The poll was conducted by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Cen-ter for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), which interviewed 2,150 adults in Yehudah and Shomron and the Gaza Strip.Thirty percent of respondents named Barghouthi, a member of Abbas’ Fatah faction to whom an Israeli court handed five life sentenced for murder in 2004, as their favorite to replace the aging president.The next most popular candidate was Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas, with 23 percent support.Questions about Abbas’ prospects were raised by his eight-day hospital-ization in May for what ocials said was a lung infection.Wednesday’s poll found that 61 percent of the public want Abbas to resign and 33 percent want him to stay in oce.Abbas became president in 2005 after the death of Yasser Arafat and pursued U.S.-led peace talks with Isra-el. But many Palestinians lost faith in him as his eorts yielded no gains and talks stalled in 2014. Abbas’ democrat-ic mandate expired nine years ago, with no new elections set due to a Fatah-Hamas power struggle.Indictment: Segev ‘Aided Iran In Its War Against Israel’DOV BENOVADIAYERUSHALAYIMª– The Yerusha-layim District Court on Wednesday cleared for publication some of the details of the indictment against for-mer Israeli minister Gonen Segev. Segev’s trial on charges of security-related crimes begins Thursday.According to details that were cleared for publication, Segev is being charged with at least 10 instances of submitting information to enemies that would put the risk of the state or specific individuals at risk. Segev “acted in a manner intended to harm the state,” the indictment says, in actions that extended over at least six years.“His actions indicated that he acted as an agent for Iran, and he undertook many actions that aided Iran in its war against Israel,” it reads. Among the information given to Iran by Segev, the indictment said, was data about military installations, the names of senior security o-cials, and “dozens of other pieces of information that assisted Iran in its eorts to harm Israel’s security.”Under questioning by the Shin Bet, it emerged that Segev in 2012 had formed a relationship with ocials at the Iranian Embassy in Nigeria, and he began work as an Ira-nian agent. He traveled to Iran twice, where he met his handlers. Ocials said that Segev was aware of what he was involved in throughout the entire period. 7THURSDAY 22 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018IsraelIsrael Warns Syria Not to Enter Bu er Zone Near BorderHAMODIA STAFFYERUSHALAYIM – Reports that ceasefire plans for southern Syria call for deployment of government forces near the border with Israel have prompted Israel to indicate the unacceptability of such a solution.An Israeli defense ocial was quoted by Channel 10 on Wednes-day night saying that a message has been sent to Syrian President Bashar Assad warning him that any of his forces who enter the demilitarized bu er zone between the countries will be regarded as a legitimate target. The source added that the IDF has stationed units of the Combat Intelligence Corps near the border to closely monitor Syrian military movements in the area. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ben-jamin Netanyahu issued a statement which called for upholding the 1974 U.N. ceasefire agreement, which established the bu er zone.“We have a Separation of Forces Agreement with Syria from 1974; this is the guiding principle. We will adhere to it very strictly and so must others, everyone,” PM Netanyahu stated.In a related development, Syria recently rejected a proposal to install early warning systems in the bu er zone, Channel 10 reported.The U.N. force that monitors the 1974 disengagement agreement approached both Israel and Syria about the warning systems. Israel reportedly agreed, but Syria did not, apparently due to fears that it could threaten state security, if used to track Syrian troop movements in the area.The system under discussion would be capable of detecting the entry of unauthorized forces into HAMODIA STAFFYERUSHALAYIM – It emerged on Wednesday after Russian-Jorda-nian talks on the Syrian crisis that Russia does not expect a complete Iranian withdrawal from Syria.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called it “absolutely unre-alistic” to think the Iranians would remove all their personnel and equipment from the country. Lavrov said a ceasefire deal in the southern region brokered by Russia, Jordan and the U.S. provides for the withdrawal of non-Syrian forces, but Iran must be recognized as a major player in the region. He said regional powers should discuss mutual com-plaints and negotiate a compromise. Israel has been lobbying for Rus-sian support for a total Iranian with-drawal, but it does not appear that such support will be forthcoming. The ceasefire plan calls for Syrian government forces to deploy in the area near the border with Israel on the Golan.President Vladimir Putin plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Bin-yamin Netanyahu next week in Mos-cow, the Kremlin said on Wednes-day.Mr. Netanyahu’s oce said in a statement on Tuesday he would be there to see Putin on July 11. Russia Calls Total Iranian Withdrawal from Syria Unrealisticthe bu er zone, as well as warn of explosive devices.Meanwhile, Israel is involved in talks with the United Nations about setting up a safe zone in southern Syria for upwards of 300,000 Syrians fleeing a regime o ensive, according to Walla.The purpose of such a zone will be to prevent chaotic and danger-ous conditions from arising in tent encampments of Syrians fleeing the fighting.An IDF ocial said this week that while Israel is delivering large amounts of humanitarian aid to the refugees, it does not intend to open the border to them.REUTERS/Ammar Awad Internally displaced refugees across the Golan Heights protest near the border between Israel and Syria in an appeal to the United Nations to stop Russia from carrying out an oensive, as seen from the Israeli side, Wednesday.REUTERS/Sergei KarpukhinRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Moscow, Wednesday.Netanyahu Hints Israeli Hand in Thwarting Iranian Terror Cell in FranceYISRAEL PRICEYERUSHALAYIM - Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu denounced Ira-nian hypocrisy on Wednesday night and hinted that Israel had a hand in thwarting an Iranian terror plot in France over the weekend.“Here is an example of the endless hypocrisy and chutzpah of Iran: The week Iran’s president meets with European leaders to try and over-come President Trump’s sanctions regime… Iran plans a terror attack on French soil,” PM Netanyahu said.“It was no coincidence that this attack was thwarted,” he added. In recent months, the prime minister said that Israel was instrumental in stopping large-scale terror attacks in Europe.“I call on European leaders: Stop financing the terror regime that orga-nizes terror against you on your soil. Enough of the policy of appeasement and weakness with Iran,” he con-cluded in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Oce.Foreign ministers from China, France, Germany, Britain and Russia are set to meet with Iranian ocials on Friday in Vienna to discuss how to keep a 2015 nuclear accord alive after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in May.The European Commission is proposing that EU governments make direct money transfers to Iran’s central bank to avoid U.S. penalties, but detailed plans have yet to emerge, Reuters reported on Wednesday.822 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018 THURS DAYBusinessBANGKOK (AP) – World stocks were mostly lower Wednesday as tech shares in particular were hit by worries over trade tensions between China and the U.S. Trading volumes were subdued as U.S. markets remained closed.Germany’s DAX shed 0.3% to close at 12,317.61 while the CAC 40 of France edged higher by less than 0.1% to finish at 5,320.50. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.3% to end at 7,573.09. Wall Street was closed for Inde-pendence Day.Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.3 percent to 21,717.04 and the Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.1 percent to 2,759.13. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 1.1 percent to 28,241.67 and the Kospi in South Korea lost 0.2 percent to 2,265.46. Australia’s S&P ASX/200 gave up 0.4 per-cent to 6,183.40.On Friday the U.S. is set to impose a 25 percent tari on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports. And China is expected to strike back with tari s on a simi-lar amount of U.S. exports. The big question is how far the two countries will go in their dispute over trade. The Trump administration has said it won’t target an additional $16 billion worth of Chinese goods until it gathers further public com-ments. It’s also identifying an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods for 10 per-cent tari s, which could take e ect if Beijing retaliates.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tues-day the European Union will strive to avoid a trade war with the United States. But Washington needs to join in that e ort, Merkel said. President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed tari s on EU steel and alu-minum imports and is mull-ing whether to add tari s on cars, trucks and auto parts.Reported comments by the head of China’s central bank saying he’s closely watching the recent slide in the value of the yuan against the dollar have helped reas-sure investors. People’s Bank of China Governor Yi Gang said financial risks were under control and the China’s international bal-ance of payments and cur-rency flows were stable.“The statement puts paid to any fears that the PBOC could be engineering a depreciation to cushion the economy,” Chang Wei-liang of Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. The yuan ended trading Wednesday at 6.66 to the dollar.Benchmark U.S. crude fell back, losing 30 cents to $73.84 per barrel in elec-tronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It added 20 cents to $74.14 a barrel on Tuesday, reach-ing more than $75 a barrel in early trading. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 33 cents to $78.09 per barrel.Stocks Mostly Lower As China-U.S. Tari s Moves LoomAttention Ladies & GirlsYides invites you to join usto the most exciting tripNiagara FallsNiagara FallsLeaving Motzei Shabbos Aug. 5,בקע תבש יאצומ *Photo ID RequiredFor reservations & information please callYides NeuwirthGROUP RATES APPLYTickets must be purchased in advance718-858-0815917-309-6000We Pick Upfrom theMountainsWASHINGTON (AP) – Pres-ident Donald Trump says OPEC is “doing little to help” rising gas prices and claims “if anything, they are driving prices higher.”Mr. Trump tweeted Wednesday: “The OPEC Monopoly must remember that gas prices are up & they are doing little to help. If any-thing, they are driving prices higher as the United States defends many of their mem-bers for very little $’s. This must be a two way street. Reduce Pricing Now!”Last month, members of the Organization of the Petro-leum Exporting Countries cartel agreed to pump one million barrels more crude oil daily, a move that should help contain the recent rise in global energy prices. How-ever, summer months in the U.S. usually lead to increased demand for oil, boosting the price of gasoline in a mid-term electio n year.Trump Says Gas Prices Are Up, OPEC ‘Doing Little to Help’NEW DELHI (AP) – India’s government says it has asked WhatsApp to take “imme-diate action” to prevent the social media platform from being misused to spread rumors and irresponsible statements like those blamed for recent deadly mob attacks in the country.At least 20 people have been killed in mostly rural villages in several Indian states in attacks by mobs that had been inflamed by social media. Victims were accused in the viral messages of belonging to gangs trying to abduct children. The brutal attacks, which began in early May, have also left dozens of people injured.Although Indian authori-ties have clarified that there was no truth to the rumors and that the targeted people were innocent, the deadly and brutal attacks have spread across the country.India’s ministry of elec-tronics and information tech-nology said in a statement late Tuesday that the lynch-ings were tied to “irrespon-sible and explosive messages” circulated on WhatsApp. It wasn’t specific on the preven-tative measures it expected to be taken by WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook. It said WhatsApp “cannot evade accountability and responsi-bility.”WhatsApp said in a blog post that it would insti-tute awards for research on “spread of misinformation” on its platform.India Asks WhatsApp to Prevent Misuse After Mob Killings9 THURS DAY 22 Tammuz 5778 // July 5, 2018Business718.972.6000 DoAllTravel.comFLY TO ISRAEL FOR SUCCOSWITH STOPOVER IN EUROPEPRIMEDATESas low as$1098DEPARTING NYC: רופיכ םוי יאצומ, Sep 19, 2018DEPARTING TLV: Wed, גח ורסא, Oct 3, 2018CALL TO BOOKThe quality you desire, the care you deserve.718.373.1700 • www.HaymSalomonHome.comFRANKFURT (AP) - Euro-pean businesses are unsettled as they watch the U.S. and China collide over trade. And for good reason: The nascent global trade war could repre-sent the biggest single threat to the economic upswing that has helped the region get past its financial crisis.In theory, some European companies could benefit, jumping into market niches if Chinese businesses are kept out of the U.S. market. But that would only be a few com-panies or sectors.When your entire econo-my is heavily depen dent on trade, an overall slowdown in global commerce caused by tit-for-tat import taxes pro-vokes fear and undermines confidence.And that’s just what’s hap-pening in Europe. By one measure, business confidence has fallen in six of the past seven months in Germany, where exports are almost half of annual economic output.“It’s worth all our e orts to defuse this conflict, so it doesn’t become a war,” Ger-man Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.The U.S. is due to put tar-i s on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods on Friday. The Chinese will respond with tari s on an equivalent value of U.S. products such as soy-beans, seafood and crude oil.Amid all this, Europe has its own trade dispute with the U.S. After the U.S. put tar-i s on steel and aluminum from many allies, includ-ing the European Union, the 28-country bloc responded with import taxes on some $3.25 billion of U.S. goods. The Trump administration is also studying the option of putting tari s on cars, which would significantly escalate the confrontation.The head of the EU’s exec-utive, Jean-Claude Juncker, will head to Washington in late July to try to person-ally persuade Trump against further measures targeting Europe.The disputes over trade threaten to spoil the good times for Europe’s economy.Growth last year was the strongest in a decade, since before the global financial crisis. While that has eased in recent quarters, the economy is still strong enough to create jobs. The number of unem-ployed fell by 125,000 in May, leaving unemployment in the 19 countries that use the euro at 8.4 percent, the lowest since 2008 and down from a high of 12.1 percent in 2013.Many European compa-nies would su er, because they both produce and sell goods in the U.S. and China, the world’s biggest econo-mies.For example, tari s that China is expected to impose Friday on U.S.-made autos would hit German carmak-ers Daimler and BMW since they both make vehicles in the United States and export them to China.Daimler has already low-ered its outlook for profits, cit-ing higher than expected costs from the new tari s. BMW warned in a letter to Com-merce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Friday that tari s would make it harder for it to sell in China the vehicles it builds at its factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, “potentially leading to a strongly reduced export volumes and negative e ects on investment and employment in the United States.”Last year, BMW exported 272,000 vehicles from the Spartanburg plant, more than half its total production. Of those, 81,000 — worth $2.37 billion — went to China. BMW says its exports reduced the U.S. trade deficit by around $1 billion.By themselves, the tari s that take e ect Friday won’t immediately have a dramatic impact on global trade. The fear is that retaliation will spi-ral, hitting the total amount of global commerce.Even if the overall e ect is to harm growth, there could be benefits for some Euro-pean companies and sectors. Economists Alicia Garcia Herrero and Jianwei Xu at the French bank Natixis say that European makers of cars, aircraft, chemicals, computer chips and factory machinery could in theory snare market share by substituting for Chi-nese or American products in the two markets. But that’s only if Europe’s own trade dispute with the U.S. does not escalate — a big if.Europe is waiting to see whether the Trump adminis-tration will go ahead separate-ly with tari s on auto imports. European companies like BMW, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen’s Porsche and Audi divisions and Fiat Chrysler send $46.6 billion worth of vehicles every year to the U.S. Some 13.3 million people, or 6.1 percent of the employed population of the EU, work in the automotive sector, according to the Euro-pean Automobile Manufac-turers Association.Amid the brewing con-flict, China has sought to get Europe on its side, putting on a charm o ensive during visits by Merkel and French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. But the EU remains a close, longtime ally of the U.S. on a range of issues, despite the current tensions with the Trump administration.One negative outcome for Europe, Herrero said, would be if Mr. Trump can push the Chinese into a trade agree-ment aimed at reducing the U.S. trade deficit. The addi-tional U.S. goods to China could come at the expense of European competitors.“If China concedes to the U.S. proposed agreement, the whole situation faced by the EU would be much tougher,” she and Xu wrote. “For China to massively reduce its trade surplus with the U.S., it has to in some way substitute its imports away from the EU to the U.S., which would have a significant negative impact on the EU producers.”FOCUS: Europe Could Su er Collateral Damage in U.S.-China Trade WarNext >