The IDF and Shin Bet have released their report on terrorist attacks in the month of July. Over the course of the month, 38 Israelis were wounded in terrorist assaults. Among the wounded was a young toddler who suffered a head injury when Arabs hurled stones at a Jewish family near the Old City of Jerusalem. An eight-year-old Jewish boy was also injured in a rock-throwing attack in the Old City, and a baby girl was wounded in a rock attack on a bus heading for the Kotel (Western Wall). There were additional injuries in rock attacks near the Shechem Gate of the Old City, and on Uzi Narkis Street in Jerusalem. One man was wounded when an Arab attacker hit him in the face during a carjacking north of Jerusalem. A Jewish youth who was attacked by a group of Arab men in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem was not hurt, the report noted. Other injuries reported during the month included three Border Police officers hit by a bomb blast in Abu Dis, a hareidi-religious man who was moderately wounded in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem , and a man who was moderately wounded in a second stabbing attack in a park near the Yemin Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem. Alert guards stopped an Arab woman who attempted to carry out a stabbing attack in the city of Hevron. Soldiers foiled several terrorist attacks, as well. A terrorist with bomb-making materials was caught in the Hevron region. Border Police arrested three Arab men at a checkpoint after finding weapons in their car. Another three were arrested at the Yitzhar junction with weapons; they had apparently planned to carry out a shooting attack. Terrorists carried out at least 55 firebomb attacks over the course of the month, targeting civilian buses and Israeli travelers in Judea and Samaria. There were attacks in the Southern District as well. Gaza terrorists fired on Navy ships off the coast, and three rocket attacks targeted Israeli communities near Gaza. A fourth rocket attack was reported targeting the city of Eilat.
G-d can create wondrous things in the twinkling of an eye, yet the "miracles" that G-d most cherishes are the result of man's hard work and participation. Therefore, in G-d's 'eyes' a loaf of bread (which requires tremendous labor on man's part to produce), is a greater miracle than a simple orange, which is ours for the picking. So too, despite the fact that G-d could create a Temple in a heartbeat, G-d holds dearest a Holy Temple that is the work of man. Positivity & the Holy Temple: Partnering with G-d
An Ethiopian immigrant is suing Israel's major banks – because they are denying him loans that he is seeking to build the Third Holy Temple (Beit Hamikdash). The Temple was the spiritual center of the Jewish people for millenia; the destruction of the first two temples marked the exile of the Jewish people twice, first to Babylonia and then to Rome. The destruction of the Second Temple rendered the Temple Mount a ruin, and was later taken over by first the Christians, and then the Muslims, who built two mosques on the site of the Temple. With the revival of the State of Israel in 1948, many Jews believe that the prophecies of the Prophets discussing the renewal of Jewish life in Israel, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the arrival of the Messiah, are imminent. In his lawsuit, the Ethiopian immigrant said that he arrived in the country in 1991. “We had tears in our eyes and we kissed the land when we arrived,” he said in a letter to the court. “But we later learned that the Temple was not yet built. Now G-d has revealed Himself to me and placed upon me the responsibility to rebuild the Temple. I have been collecting donations for this purpose, but I have been facing opposition to this plan from authorities.” The banks that the immigrant has sought money from – Bank Discount, Tefahot, Leumi, and Hapoalim – have not been helpful either. “The banks are not allowing me to open accounts to receive donations, much less provide loans.” The immigrant is seeking damages in the amount of NIS 100 million ($35 million), which he said would go to the building fund. However, the immigrant does not have enough money to file the lawsuit. Under Israeli law, anyone seeking damages in a civil suit must pay court fees of 2.5% of the amount they are seeking. The rule exists to prevent nuisance lawsuits from flooding Israeli courts. The court can waive the fee if it is warranted, and the immigrant asked the court to do so. The court said that the suit, while justified, did not seek to correct a situation in which damages were caused to the individual. While the immigrant's sentiments are noble, “I hereby reject the request to waive the fee. At this point, we will have to be satisfied with the rebuilding of the Land of Israel, if not the Temple,” the court said.