JEWS MOURN FEDERAL MINISTER

JEWS MOURN FEDERAL MINISTER

Gayle Rinot,Shai Rosen

 MR URI OLBACH IS SAID TO HAVE DIED OF A BLOOD RELATED DISEASE

Thousands come to pay their last respects to Minister Uri Orbach who died at the age of 54

Pensioners' Affairs Minister Uri Orbach of the Bayit Hayehudi party died on Monday, leaving behind a wife and four children. He passed away at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Hospital at the age of 54 after fighting an unspecified blood illness and was laid to rest in his hometown of Modi'in. Lawmakers and Ministers from across the political spectrum offered messages of condolences for a man who was known to have done a great deal for Israel's elderly population and who was well loved by everyone, including those who differed with his political opinions. Bayit Hayehudi Party leader Naftali Bennett said that Orbach was a good man with a huge Jewish spirit.

A video featuring a detailed tour of the private residence of the Prime Minister and his wife Sarah was featured on the Facebook page of a popular Israeli home stylist causing a stir among both the security establishment and left wing politicians. Former Shabak Head Yuval Diskin posted on his Facebook page that the video allows terrorists to see the exact layout of the Netanyahu home and based on his experience, it's something terrorists would pay a lot of money to acquire. The left wing Meretz party leader Zahava Gal-on admonished Sarah Netanyahu for pointing out the minor flaws in her home while so many Israelis are living under the poverty line. It remains unclear who approved the video; any photographs or videos taken in the Prime Minister's residence need to be authorized by the security unit of the Shabak.

Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog released a new political video listing his accomplishments but added that it's his voice which may be preventing voters from supporting him. And a Channel 2 News survey released on Monday indicates that if elections were held today, the Herzog-Livni Zionist Union would win 25 mandates while Netanyahu's Likud party would win 24.

Tensions continue between Israel and the United States as Prime Minister Netanyahu prepares to speak before Congress on the dangers of Iran's nuclear program. Republican senators, who support Netanyahu, say that it would be easier to reach a majority vote in Congress without Netanyahu's interference.

The 21st IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkott was sworn in on Monday as outgoing Chief of Staff Benny Gantz wished him well. Eisenkott said he is well aware of the challenges faced by Israel in the changing face of the middle East and Prime Minister Netanyahu promised Eisenkott that those challenges would not give him a moment of peace. The entourage subsequently made a trip to the Wailing Wall and then to the President's residence to meet with Israel's president Rivlin.

Danish police announced on Monday that the terrorist responsible for the attacks in Copenhagen had been jailed two years ago and was just released two weeks ago. He is a Danish born Palestinian who grew up in a pro-Palestinian enclave in Denmark's capital city. The city's leader of anti-Israel protests expressed his surprise at the attack. He asked not to be identified for reasons of safety. Tensions continue to rise between the Jewish and Palestinian communities in Denmark with one Israeli who resides in Copenhagen admitting that he and his family had received death threats. In light of Prime Minister Netanyahu's invitation to Denmark's Jews to come to Israel, the Danish Prime Minister called on Danish Jews to stay.

French police revealed on Monday that some 200 gravestones were destroyed in Western France. France's Prime Minister responded to Netanyahu's invitation to French Jews to come live in Israel by saying that the place for French Jews is still in France.

And finally, more names were released on Monday of Israeli tycoons holding Swiss bank accounts worth millions of dollars. The individuals and families in question claim all the accounts are legal. A full list of names is expected to be published in the Israeli press on Tuesday.