By Ilana Messika/TPS

Jerusalem (TPS) – The family of Avraham (Abera) Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli reportedly held hostage by Hamas, gathered today with dozens of protesters in front of the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday to protest the government’s failure to act on Avraham’s repatriation.

“We are here today to raise awareness of my brother’s plight, ” stated Ilan Mengistu to Tazpit Press Service (TPS). “I think it’s time for the prime minister to understand that it is forbidden to forsake an innocent Israeli citizen in the hands of terrorists.” he claimed.

“In two years, my brother has had no visits from the Red Cross, no one is aware of his exact location, and we, his family, have received no information whatsoever on his well-being, which violates his international human rights.” he said.

“Two years and not a single thing has been done,” stated Ayaline, Avraham’s father, in an official statement. “Do we count for nothing? How come the families of Hamas’ captives can can to Israel and hold their relatives when we have no information whatsoever? Mr. Prime Minister, this is in your hands!” he claimed.

Mengistu, a 28-year-old civilian from Ashkelon, crossed the border into Gaza in in September 2014, through the Zikim beach for unknown reasons. He has been missing ever since.

Hamas’ spokespeople refute the family statements claiming that Avraham is mentally unstable. They claim he was captured as a prisoner of war.

“Abera is a mentally unhealthy person who unfortunately ended up in Gaza, and is in need of medical treatment. This is a humanitarian case, not a political or military one,” Sahar Mola, one of the activists who participated in a similar protest last year, told TPS at that time.

The Mengistu family, along with the families of soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin whose bodies are also in the hands of Hamas, have called for a tightening of conditions for Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails. They also denounced the last June’s Israel-Turkey reconciliation deal for failing to include specific clauses about their children.

“It is within the prime minister’s capacity to use the rights of the Hamas prisoners in Israeli custody (such as family visitations, allowance, education or radio) as a bargaining chip to address the unlawful captivity conditions in which Avraham is being held.” Ilan Mengistu told TPS.

“We will not make peace with the current state of affairs and we will not stop pressuring the government until something is done.”he concluded.

Along with Avraham Mengistu, two Israeli Bedouins named Hisham al-Sayed and Jumaa Abu-Ghanima have also crossed the border to Gaza in similar circumstances, respectively in 2015 and 2016.

Ex-Yesh-Atid MK Pnina Tamano-Shata wrote on Facebook that the protest is proof of the government’s inaction. “Two years have passed and nothing has been done. The protest proves that the public will not abandon the fight in the face of governmental incompetence.”

Pressure from the Jewish community has apparently forced a prominent Republican Jewish Seattle Jewish developer to back away from plans to support GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Republican Jewish Coalition member Martin Selig had planned to co-host a fundraiser for the Republican nominee, but was quoted by the Seattle Times as saying that backlash from local Jews was so overwhelming he cancelled his participation. “Do you know what it’s like to be a Jewish Republican in Seattle?” he told the newspaper. Likewise, other prominent Republicans listed as co-hosts on the invitation for the event also reportedly backed out.

But at the end 150 donors attended the fundraiser held before a 7 pm rally, and Trump raised more than $1 million at the event according to state Republican Party Chairman Susan Hutchison. Weeks ahead, Vancouver billionaire Ken Fisher and his wife Sherrilyn gave a combined $50,000 and developer Clyde Holland donated $94,600 to the Trump Victory Fund, according to a report by the Seattle Times earlier in the month.

Although no top Washington GOP candidates or politicians were with Trump on state at the rally that followed, other national big names were there instead, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, who all spoke.

Trump is set to meet with Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto just hours before he is set to deliver a major speech about his proposed immigration policy. Nieto said he extended the same invitation to both U.S. presidential candidates.

Dozens of celebrities have offered their support for a Jewish family who has just a month to find a bone marrow donor to save their mother’s life after her leukaemia returned.

Stars such as Birtney Spears, Sharon Osbourne, Bear Grylls, and Jeremy Kyle have all shared the #Spit4Mum campaign online to help Sharon Berger.

Britney Spears tweeted, “A British mum with leukemia needs a stem cell donor. RT, register, say a prayer, and save a life @GiftofLife @DKMS_uk #Spit4Mum”

Berger’s daughter Caroline said: ‘We’ve been incredibly moved by the global support from celebrities on social media. Now I hope we can turn those tweets into sign-ups to help save my mum’s life from blood cancer. We are incredibly grateful that people in the public eye are putting the weight of their social media presence behind our #Spit4Mum campaign and using their celebrity status for the greater good.”

Sharon Berger, 65, of London was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in 2012, and was told that the only available cure was a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor.

A global search was launched – dubbed the #Spit4Mum campaign – and a matching donor was found within weeks which meant Berger had an apparently successful transplant in May 2013.

But last week a routine blood test revealed that despite a successful transplant, the aggressive nature of her illness means the cancer has returned. Doctors have now told the family that Berger has just six weeks before she needs a second transplant.

Blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan is now searching the world’s combined stem cell registries for someone whose tissue type matches Berger’s. But the search could prove difficult because of Berger’s combination of rare tissue types.

Because of Berger’s Jewish heritage, her best match is likely to be an Ashkenazi Jew. But the family is encouraging everyone who is eligible to join the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow register, as a potential match.

A recent study found that of patients who receive a second transplant, one in three survived for at least another five years.

“This means that if we can find Mum another match in the next month, there is a good chance that she will have a second chance at life post-transplant,” said Berger’s son Jonni.

Ann O’Leary, Head of register and development at Anthony Nolan, said: “We would urge anyone who hasn’t joined up yet to consider doing so – it’s straightforward and could help save the life of someone like Sharon.

“To join up you must be aged 16-30, in good health and weigh at least 50kg. We are particularly looking for people from Jewish and other ethnic minority backgrounds to join, as they are currently underrepresented on the donor register.”

To register as a stem cell donor in the U.S or Israel visit www.giftoflife.org.

To register to donate stem cells visit www.bmdw.org.

A group of extreme leftwing activists who identified themselves as “Antifa,” the Antifaschistische Aktion, a militant extremist extra-parliamentary network in Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and other countries, whose stated goal is to “smash fascism in all its forms,” on Wednesday night attacked a rally of twelfth-graders and a few adults who were marching in support of the medic Sergeant Elor Azaria [who is on trial for shooting a neutralized terrorist] from the Habima theater to the Kirya, where the IDF headquarters are located. Among the injured in the attack was former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari who was evacuated to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.

According to a police statement, the rally was attacked near the Kirya area by “five suspects who masked their faces, as one of them sprayed the marchers with tear gas.” The five attackers were eventually apprehended.

Ben Ari told Walla that “at the Sarona plaza we were suddenly attacked by ten leftwingers. They started to yell at us, they came with a megaphone and yelled, ‘Azaria is a murderer’ and attacked us with tear gas. They poured purple paint on my clothes, something acidy, my whole body was burning. I was smashed on the head with a stick. I’m suffering dizziness now. I hope the police will know how to take care of this leftwing hooliganism.”

Ben Ari accused police of incompetence in handling the attack, saying he had alerted them well in advance of the attack, after seeing the masked men approaching. He said police ignored his warnings that a provocation was about to take place.

The Antifa group boasted on its Facebook page Wednesday night: “Fascists who arrived in Tel Aviv to demonstrate support for Elor Azaria, the murdering soldier from Hebron, were received with a traditional antifascist reception. Kahanism is fascism. The army is a murderer. Those who kicked them away did well. And it’s not the first time. It’s interesting to know when will they learn.”

Ben Ari’s Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Might) group released a statement saying the attack Wednesday “crossed a very serious red line. Were the case reversed (meaning if rightwingers had done the spraying) all the knights of the rule of law would have been shocked and demanded police to apply the full wrath of the law to the rioters. We will not stop acting on behalf of releasing the soldier and hooliganism will not win.”

Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday night appealed to the Attorney General to outlaw the Antifa organization. Ben-Gvir wrote: “There is no doubt that police incompetence regarding the activities of leftwingers is encouraging them to attack and to riot. If these were [rightwing organization] Lehava activists there is no doubt they would have been held in jail until the end of the proceedings.”

Ben-Gvir added, “At a time when the Shabak is investing the bulk of its efforts in locating 15-year-olds who walk around with magic markers writing slogans, it would be appropriate to take action and to outlaw the band of thugs who attack youths wishing to march in support of IDF soldiers.”

Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated around the country Saturday night supporting an IDF medic who killed a wounded IDF terrorist who had stabbed a soldier a few minutes prior.

The medic, a soldier from the Kefir Brigade, is being charged with manslaughter. The prosecutor decided against charging him with murder.

Relatives of active IDF soldiers, reservists and civilians gathered in numerous cities to support the detained soldier.

In Rishon LeZion, 400 people blocked a major artery “for our hero who took out the Hebron terrorist.” A second rally was held at a shopping mall in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam. Another demonstration was held at the entrance to Kiryat Gat, in southern Israel.

Thousands are demonstrating near the Chords Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem, in protest of the unwarranted incognito incarceration and torture of Jewish youths and minors by the Shabak. The protesters are blocking the entrance to the city.

Police arrested six demonstrators and a policeman attacked Makor Rishon news photographer Miri Tzahi, pushing her camera into her face. She was taken to Terem medical center. Her face was covered in blood, according to a TPS report.

A protest against Shabak torture in Jerusalem on Dec. 20, 2015. Photo credit: Moshe Atlo /TPS

An account that made it to Facebook on Sunday revealed that one of the minors being allegedly tortured by the Shabak tried to commit suicide by slashing his wrists. The same minor has reportedly begged the remanding judge throughout his time in Shabak’s hands: “They’re turning my arms into a bow and they hold me upside down until my hands start to burn. Each day it gets worse. Give me poison. I can’t take it any more.”

The minor showed the marks of his suicide attempt to the court on Sunday. He was examined by the district psychiatrist who determined that the minor is under emotional pressure as a result of his interrogation. It was also revealed to the court that the same minor was given pills by the prison doctor because he couldn’t fall asleep as a result of the interrogations and the torture.

The minor told the judge: “I am ready to confess to everything, but I can’t explain how. Just leave me alone, damn it.”

The boy requested medical treatment for his back for the stretching and torture he endured. He burst into tears and said, “I can’t take it any more.”

Attorney Adi Keidar from the legal aid society Honenu who represents this minor said in a statement, “Today we presented to the court the hands of the minor where it can be seen clearly that a suicide attempt had been committed, all of it as a result of the torture he is undergoing in the Shabak interrogations.”

“By the end of the day we have been exposed to the continuation of the terrible saga in which we saw clearly today that everything the suspect has been telling us he already told before the court while being prevented from seeing us. He described all those shocking things and no one responded. This is a shocking event that must worry us, the fact that the court system link arms with the prosecution, the police and Shabak.”

The Honenu organization said in a statement on Sunday: The things that were revealed in this case are shocking and terrifying. The responsible elements have crossed all the lines and decided to spill the blood of Jewish children, plain and simple. This is a spiritual eclipse experienced by the State of Israel.”

The Shabak released a statement saying the report was made up and baseless.

Two American presidents urged Israelis at a peace rally marking the 20th anniversary of the murder of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to take risks for peace — but neither has ever had any personal experience with taking such a risk themselves.

Thousands attended the rally Saturday night in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square marking the 20-year anniversary of the assassination of the late prime minister during a peace rally on Nov 4, 1995.

Two U.S. presidents spoke at the event, and while both spoke on the importance of taking risks for peace, neither personally risked anything for that lofty cause at the rally, nor in the past, ever.

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin also declared, “We should have no fear. Israel’s democracy is solid enough, and we are brave enough and strong enough to open wide Israel’s gates so that all the groups within us may play an equal part in shaping the character and future of the State of Israel.”

And Israel has indeed opened her gates. The gates are opened so wide that Israeli Arab Knesset members legally call upon constituents to destroy the very nation in whose parliament they participate, and with whose tax monies their salaries and benefits are paid.

“We should have no fear,” declared President Rivlin, but the question is, from what? Thousands of police forces have been called in to beef up security in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Arab terror attacks continue to escalate in the current wave of terror.

Both American leaders called on Israelis to take risks for peace, while neither has ever physically done so themselves.

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke in a pre-recorded video, intoning, “A bullet can take a man’s life, but his spirit and his dream of peace will never die.” It was a message nearly identical to that of Hezbollah and Hamas, if one deletes the “dream of peace.”

Hugely popular former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who was the keynote speaker at the event, spoke from behind bulletproof glass.

“After all the fighting and battles he engaged in, he never stopped seeing other people, including his adversaries, as human beings,” Clinton said.

“All of you must decide … how to finish his legacy, for the last chapter must be written by the people he gave his life to, to save and to nourish.

“You have to decide that the risks for peace are not as severe as the risks of walking away from it,” he told those who attended the rally.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is more than familiar with those risks, having served in the IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal special ops unit in his youth, met with Clinton at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on Friday.