News Nosh 11.01.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday November 1, 2016  
 
Quote of the day:
"From your first day as prime minister, you lead an endless discourse of hatred and incitement. You keep legitimizing racist sentiment, fear and intimidation. It starts with hatred of the other, the Arab, and moves against artists, journalists, and finally to the court system, IDF commanders and other officials in the political system. Your voice is not heard against difficult social phenomena and moral dilemmas in Israeli society. The only conflicts you vigorously and tirelessly manage are conflicts between us, between the citizens of Israel."
--In his speech at the opening of the Knesset's winter session, opposition and Zionist Camp leader, MK Isaac Herzog, gave scathing criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's leadership.**
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You can't help but wonder.

Help our ad campaign go national!
Help us keep Rabin's vision alive.

During the past several months, we at APN placed a series of ads quoting senior security officials in two east coast Jewish newspapers – with great success. We now want to make it into a national ad campaign and place ads in Jewish newspapers across the country. With a $25 contribution from you, we can go national with ads like this.

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The three bullets that ended the life of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 21 years ago were intended to kill the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

DonateYigal Amir, the Jewish terrorist who assassinated Rabin, did succeed in setting back Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, but must not be rewarded with his ultimate goal: the death of Rabin’s vision of an Israel that is both Jewish and a democracy, living in peace with its neighbors.You can’t help but wonder what Israel’s relations with the Palestinians, and indeed the world, would have looked like today if Rabin had been able to fulfill his vision. It is incumbent upon us to not only wonder and imagine, but to act to make Rabin’s vision a reality.

Help us keep Rabin’s vision alive, help us keep the hope for peace alive. Your contribution will help us show our fellow American Jews that Israel’s top security community rejects the belligerent, hardline policies of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. Help us show that capable, responsible security chiefs walk in Rabin’s path, fighting for peace.

 

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October 31, 2016 - Egypt, Lebanon: the wages of chaos on Israel’s borders

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Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

This week, Alpher discusses developments in both Egypt and Lebanon, two of Israel’s Arab neighbors, which appear to reflect a steady expanse of the regional influence of Russia, Syria and Iran, based on their military progress in Syria; what this means for Israel and the US; Egypt's tilt toward Assad; Lebanon's attempt to break an extended political logjam; who gains strategically from all this; where this leaves Israel; and does this affect the Israeli-Palestinian equation.

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News Nosh 10.31.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday October 31, 2016
 
Quote of the day:
"I am ashamed of the mistakes I made with regards to people in general and women in particular. I am ashamed that I did not behave correctly to my wife and children. I am embarrassed about the consequences of what I did."
--Renowned journalist Ari Shavit said in a statement released Sunday announcing that he was resigning from Haaretz and Channel 10.*
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News Nosh 10.30.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday October 30, 2016
 
Quote of the day:
“What unites us is that we’re all convinced another round of violence won’t bring security, which means the only thing that will bring it is an agreement.” 
--Yael Admi, one of the leaders of Women Wage Peace. When the Knesset begins its winter session tomorrow, 120 women from the group will be right outside it holding a peace vigil, every week.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Hunting season // Nahum Barnea in Washington on the FBI announcement regarding Clinton’s emails
  • The battle for democracy // Ben-Dror Yemini on Netanyahu’s attempt to close the new public broadcasting corporation
  • Netanyahu will meet with the ministers and demand: Support the closure of the public broadcasting corporation
  • “I don’t accept the apology” – American journalist Danielle Brinn was not impressed Haaretz journalist Ari Shavit’s request for forgiveness
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Re-opened (On US presidential race and FBI investigation into Clinton’s emails)
  • Basket of surprises // Ron Miburg in Maine
  • Between reaching the summit and the floor // Shmuel Rosner in NY
  • A blow, not more // Shlomo Shamir in NY
  • Peres was recruited for a campaign of the settlers’– without the knowledge of his family
  • A hero anyway // Aviram Barkai on the debate between IDF commanders whether the story from the ’73 war about the ‘Zvika Force’ was true
Israel Hayom
News Summary:
The hullabaloo after the FBI announced it was re-opening its probe into the emails of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the government cabinet meeting today where Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hopes to convince his ministers to agree to close down the new and yet-to-broadcast public broadcasting corporation and the plan by Education Minister Naftali Bennett to bring to vote in the ministerial committee the 'Regulation Bill'– which will allow for settlers to continue to live on privately-owned Palestinian land - were today’s top stories. Also in the news, a former IDF general admitted that he had invented one of Israel’s iconic stories of IDF heroism and the Jewish-American journalist sexually assaulted by Haaretz journalist Ari Shavit said his apology only made her angrier. Shavit, meanwhile, said he’s taking a hiatus from journalism.

Israeli analysts argued whether the FBI probe into Clinton’s emails was a blow or a knockout to her bid for the presidency – even as another video clip showed Trump sexually harassing a woman. Wikileaks also released an email by a Clinton aide who, after PM Netanyahu's re-election in 2015, wrote that "Israel is depressing. It's a good lesson that the wing nuts are just ruthless in every country."
 
Netanyahu will try hard today to convince the opposing ministers to close down the new broadcasting corporation, which is supposed to replace the Israeli Broadcasting Authority. Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon is expected to be the deciding vote.
 
Likud led by the coalition chief, David Bitan, claims that the new public broadcaster has been ‘hijacked’ by the left-wing. Artists and journalists have protested the attempts to close it down. Even Yedioth’s right-wing commentator, Ben-Dror Yemini, wrote today that Netanyahu simply wants a compliant media, not a free media.
 
Another key vote today in the cabinet will decide the fate of numerous outposts built on privately-Palestinian land. With the nearing deadline for the destruction of Amona outpost, Habayit Hayehudi leader, Education Minister Naftali Bennet, hopes to convince the Ministerial Committee for Legislation to vote on the ‘Regulation Bill,’ also known as the ‘Legalization Bill,’ which was already deemed unconstitutional by the attorney general.  The Likud hopes to reach a compromise with Amona settlers and offered settlers land elsewhere or allowing them to stay due to 'absentee property.' Meanwhile, the state has delayed its appeal to the High Court over the evacuation of the outpost, possibly to prepare a new site for the Amona outpost, but the settlers oppose this solution, Haaretz+ reported.
 
Quick Hits:
  • Israeli car comes under fire near West Bank settlement; none hurt - The Israeli military is searching for the gunmen, defining the incident as an attempted terror attack. (Haaretz and Ynet
  • Palestinian shot and injured after attempting to kill IDF soldiers - According to the IDF, the man tried to run over and then stab soldiers outside a military base near the West Bank settlement Ofra. (Haaretz and Maan)  
  • Israeli court accuses slain Palestinian's twin brother of social media 'incitement' - The prosecution accused 20-year-old Muhammad Shuyukhi of inciting “terrorism” on social media following the killing of his twin brother Ali by Israeli forces during clashes in the occupied East Jerusalem town of Silwan on Oct. 11. (Maan)
  • State seeks 15-year sentence for teenage 'scissors terrorist' - Charges against so-called "scissors terrorist," a 16-year-old girl from Qalandiya, include attempted homicide and possession of deadly weapon • She and her 14-year-old cousin, who was killed in the attack, stabbed two people in Jerusalem in November 2015. (Israel Hayom)
  • 3 Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli forces along Gaza border - Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the ministry of health in Gaza told Ma’an that after they were injured in the clashes, the three were taken to the hospital in moderate condition. (Maan)
  • Israeli authorities seal main road in occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood - Member of a local committee in the village Rasem Ubeidat told Ma’an that Israeli authorities closed the al-Madares Street as a “collective punishment” against the village, after the authorities claimed that fireworks were fired from the village towards the Israeli Armon Hanatziv settlement. (Maan)
  • Israeli settlers cut down 18 trees on private Palestinian land near Bethlehem - Journalist Hani Fanun, whose family owns the trees, said his family went to harvest olives in the area of Nahalin near Bat Ayin settlement and found that settlers had cut down over 18 large olive trees. (Maan)  
  • Israel Army Halts Palestinian Olive Harvest After IDF Outpost Vandalized - Unmanned Israeli army outpost near Yitzhar was defaced with graffiti of swastikas, inscription 'death to Jews.' (Haaretz+ and Maan
  • Arab Students Face New Barrier as Top Israeli University Raises Bar of Required Hebrew - Arab NGO says no reason to demand high level of Hebrew for mostly technical studies, but Technion science institute says move intended to reduce dropout rate of Arab students. (Haaretz+) 
  • Thousands march in demand for recognition of Kafr Qasim massacre - At march marking 60 years since 49 residents were killed by Israeli troops, demonstrators call on government to officially acknowledge tragic incident. Kafr Qasim Mayor Adel Badir: The murder of the fallen is not forgiven and not forgotten. (Israel Hayom)
  • Likud legislator seeks moderate version of Israel’s 'Jewish nation-state bill' - Benny Begin pledges to propose a variant that also stresses equal rights for the Arab minority. (Haaretz+) 
  • **Women’s peace group to hold vigil outside Knesset for duration of winter session - 120 members from Women Wage Peace will stand there every week, each one holding a sign with the name of a single Knesset member. The goal, said one of the group’s leaders, is to get Israel's 120 lawmakers thinking about peace. (Haaretz+) 
  • Haaretz journalist embroiled in sexual harassment scandal announces hiatus - "Haaretz expects its employees to behave professionally at all times," daily says as Ari Shavit announces he will be "taking a break" from journalism. Other female journalists come forward about being sexually harassed by colleagues. (Israel Hayom)
  • Hillel student group suspends Ari Shavit's campus tour - Haaretz columnist issued apology following American journalist's accusation: I didn't think I committed sexual harassment. (Haaretz
  • 'This almost-exact story happened to me years ago with another Israeli media personality' - Avital Chizhik, a Journalism professor at Yeshiva University whose work has been featured Haaretz and Tablet, stated that she was sexually assaulted by a different Israeli media personality. (Maariv and JPost
  • Settler leader resigns from post following sexual harassment allegations - Gush Etzion Regional Council Chairman Davidi Perl previously denied the sexual harassment allegations but confirmed that he had paid the complainant hush money. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • Disgraced MK's future in Likud unclear following court ruling - PM, top Likud officials meet to discuss ways to rein in MK Oren Hazan after court finds he used hard drugs, solicited prostitutes • Hazan may lose chairmanship of Finance Committee, be barred from addressing Knesset or be expelled from party. (Israel Hayom)
  • Shimon Peres used in Ma'ale Adumim annexation bid - The likeness of and a quote from former President Shimon Peres along with many other Israeli leaders is being used by a campaign to have the Israeli government annex the town of Ma'ale Adumim. (Yedioth/Ynet and Maariv, p. 1)
  • Negev Nuclear Research Center to be renamed in honor of Peres - Some 1,800 people attend state service unveiling tombstone of President Shimon Peres on Mount Herzl • PM Netanyahu: Peres walked among us as a beacon of knowledge • President Rivlin: We will abide by your will, build a better future. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israeli authorities reopen entrance to Hebron-area village after weeks of closure - An entrance to Beit Einun had previously been closed by an iron gate for nearly a year before being reopened for only a day in September. It remained unclear whether the entrance reopened on Wednesday was the same entrance. (Maan)
  • Netanyahu's Deputy Causes Diplomatic Snafu With Italy by Blaming Earthquake on UNESCO - Israel apologizes for incident hours before the Italian President Sergio Mattarella is due to arrive in Jerusalem for an official visit. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • Republican senators call on Obama to sever ties with UNESCO - Senators make written appeal after U.N. cultural organization passes second resolution denying Jewish ties to Jerusalem • "It is imperative that the U.S. stands with Israel, our closest ally and the sole democracy in the region," they say. (Israel Hayom)
  • UN expert says he will examine Israel's treatment of human rights groups - Michael Lynk says that human rights defenders in the region face scorn and accused Israel of trying to delegitimize their work. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • National service slots for 6 left-wing groups under review
  •  -  PM says he will work to revoke B'Tselem's national service slots after organization head's slander of Israel at U.N. last week • CEO of right-wing group Im Tirzu decries "absurd reality" in which groups working against Israel enjoy government benefits. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israeli Officer Says He Made Up One of the IDF's Most Iconic Tales of Heroism - Col. Zvika Greengold received Medal of Valor for 'single-handedly destroying 60 tanks' in Yom Kippur War, but senior reserve officer says tale was spun to boost unit morale. (Haaretz)
  • Four Killed and Four Seriously Wounded in West Bank Car Crash - Accident involved an Israeli and a Palestinian vehicle, police say; three killed were residents of East Jerusalem, fourth was driving in Palestinian vehicle. (Haaretz)
  • Israeli minister recommends declassifying files on Yemenite children's disappearances in 1950s - Tzachi Hanegbi, tasked by Netanyahu to reexamine case of hundreds of Yemenite children gone missing during state's early years, says no reason to prevent public from viewing sealed documents. (Haaretz
  • U.S. voters in Israel say their ballot requests have gone missing - Both Democrats and Republicans are irked with iVote Israel, even though the group has a GOP pedigree. (Haaretz+)
  • Trump writes note for Kotel - The Republican Presidential nominee wrote a note to be placed in the Kotel in which he sought blessings for the United States, its armed forces and its allies; The note was handwritten and was passed through an adviser to be placed in the wall. (Yedioth/Ynet
  • Upstart pro-Trump Israeli Group Mimics Unconventional Campaign in Split With Establishment - The official Republican Party in Israel faces off with a brash new group, Trump Blue & White. (Haaretz+) 
  • 3 injured after armed clashes break out with PA security forces in Balata refugee camp - PA security forces had entered the camp “to arrest fugitives” when clashes broke out with armed gunmen from the camp, according to PA security sources. (Maan
  • U.S. Orders Families of Consulate Employees in Istanbul to Leave Turkey - U.S. State Department cites 'security information' detailing the continued efforts to harm U.S. civilians in updated travel warning. (Agencies, Haaretz
  • Turkey Arrests Over 10,000 Civil Servants as Coup Crackdown Continues - Academics, teachers and health workers suspected of links to U.S.-based cleric Gulen whom Erdogan blames for master minding failed coup. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Senior Egyptian Officer Killed in Sinai Explosion Amid ISIS Insurgency - Officer and soldier dead after blast that apparently targeted an army colonel. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Shi'ite Groups Battle ISIS Near Mosul, but Won't Enter Sunni Majority City - Wary of sectarian divides, the Shi'ite militias, advised by Iran and backed by the Iraqi army, will stop short of entering the hub city. (Agencies, Haaretz


Features:
Armed and entitled, Israeli hikers sow fear in Palestinian farming village
Israeli visitors to an idyllic West Bank village walk around with guns, swim in the nude, generate fear and wreak havoc – either accidentally or intentionally. 
And these aren't even the biggest problems facing the local Palestinian farmers. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
The Kurdish battle for Mosul, and independence
While the Peshmerga have been on the front lines against ISIS, the impression is that they see the government in Baghdad as their main enemy. A special report from the front lines, part 3 (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+)
Hadar's smile against the world
Father of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed and captured in Gaza two years ago, writes about exhibition of his son’s paintings at UN’s central hallway last month as world leaders arrived to address General Assembly. ‘This pro-Israel display presents the Israeli soldier as a smiling officer, an artist, a moral, courteous and earnest person, rather than his usual image at the UN as a brutal soldier.’ (Ynet)
'U.S. Jews feel they have to be Israel's ambassadors. Israelis can be more critical.'
Departures / Arrivals: A former American hippie has major plans for his grandson: Becoming the prime minister of Israel and making peace with the Palestinians; an Aussie laments that kids these days are raised to be sociopaths. (Liat Elkayam, Haaretz+) 
 
Commentary/Analysis:
A License to Kill (Haaretz Editorial) By closing the case into the shooting of Palestinian siblings by security guards in Qalandiyah, Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office gave stamp of approval to hasty trigger fingers. 
Obama: Last Chance to Rectify Your Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking Failures (Yossi Beilin, Haaretz+) The election-inauguration window only happens once for every president. Reagan used it to recognize the PLO in 1988, and Clinton for his parameters for peace in 2000. Will Obama follow suit?
Clinton’s troubling list of donors (Sever Plocker, Yedioth/Ynet) As a Jew, I felt great discomfort learning that the Democratic presidential candidate’s top five mega-donors are Jewish; will people now argue that Hillary Clinton is controlled by the Jews? 
Despite Growing Pushback, Netanyahu Is Obsessed With Killing the Public Broadcaster (Yossi Verter, Haaretz) Cabinet ministers are making it difficult for Netanyahu to destroy the new public broadcasting corporation. Knowing he'll have to pay a heavy price, the prime minister is putting off the inevitably violent evacuation of the illegal Amona outpost. 
Why is the Hamas government as stable as Netanyahu government? (Gideon Eshet, Yedioth/Ynet) The rhetoric between Jerusalem and Gaza may be filled with deep hatred, but it allows both governments to prove there is no solution; In the meantime, the strip's residents are paying the price. 
Our Holy Sites vs. Their Holy Sites (B. Michael, Haaretz+) Israel's whining over UNESCO is arrogant and hypocritical, coming from a state that does everything in its power to conceal or minimize everything that existed here before we came, and after we left, until we returned.
To the very last inch (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) There is no need to argue over the number of houses that will be evacuated and demolished in Amona outpost. Eventually, not a single Jewish home will remain in that outpost – or in the entire West Bank. 
Knesset Braces for Stormiest Session in Years (Jonathan Lis, Haaretz+) From a boycott of the Arab MKs over their snub of Peres' funeral to the looming eviction of the illegal outpost Amona, Israeli parliamentarians are in for a rough-and-tumble winter. 
Mosul as an allegory of Gaza (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) The fighting taking place in the Iraqi city is a practical model for the IDF, which has yet to deal with the occupation of a city as large as Gaza, consisting of thousands of gunmen driven by a jihadist ideology. 
Clinton's Zombie Apocalypse: The Email Bombshell That Raised Trump's Campaign From the Dead (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) The announcement that the email probe was being relaunched recast Clinton from near-certain winner to almost-possible loser. Clinton aides suspect that FBI Director James Comey intentionally sabotaged her campaign. 
Are Israelis the Bad Ones? (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) B’Tselem is telling Israelis that the exception they have enjoyed from moral judgment is over and they must recognize that they have built and solidified an entire system of values and laws that is fundamentally a self-delusion.
Giving up national dignity in favor of regional flirtations (Elyakim Haetzni, Yedioth/Ynet) As Jordan and Egypt keep slapping Israel in the face with diplomatic initiatives, the Jewish state keeps holding back for the sake of a real or imaginary affair, which is occurring – as always – solely under the table.
When bad behavior is deemed worse than killing (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) Why does a court feel compelled to address the repulsive conduct of people at the 'hate wedding' but not an incident in which a sister and brother were shot to death? 
General Michel Aoun is bad news for Israel (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) If Aoun, who is known for changing his loyalties, is elected president in Lebanon, he will be the one to select the country’s prime minister and dictate its foreign affairs; as far as Israel is concerned, this means quite a headache.
So Stupid, Beautiful and Pure (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Israel hasn’t changed since 1970. The pretexts for wars remain as they were; their similarity is frightening: 'We need to be strong in order to make peace.' 
Why is Bennett protecting it? (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) Not yet on the air, the new public broadcasting authority has become the Left's home turf, seeking to advance its interests. 
I Don't Need Jewish Historians to Tell Me About the Nakba (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) I obsessively follow Israeli news in hopes of one day learning that peace has broken out in the Mideast. But all I see are Jews arguing about 1948 and the occupation. 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.

News Nosh 10.28.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday October 28, 2016  
 
Quote of the day:
“Yes, Arabs have rights too. We have clear criteria. I ask that we stick to them.”
--MK Miki Rosenthal (Zionist Camp) opposes an attempt to legislate law that that would prevent tax-deductible donations from organizations that "act against Israel." The bill is aimed at Amnesty International.**
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APN Weekly Update - Thank Obama, Alpher on Israeli Right Wing, Avi Buskila Interview, and more

Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now: October 27, 2016


"I've come to know that the work that organizations like B'Tselem and Peace Now do protects me. In working for the rights of Palestinians, they are defending the future of democracy for all Israelis. But who, now, in this place of incitement, will protect them?"

Ha'aretz Columnist Bradley Burston from his October 25 Opinion piece.


Hard Questions, Tough Answers with Yossi Alpher

Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

October 26, 2016 - Lieberman and Shaked define crucial right wing government strategies

Q. Last week, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman gave an unusual interview to a Palestinian daily. Is there anything really new here?

A. Two dimensions of the interview are new and warrant attention...

Q. Let's start with Gaza.

A. Lieberman put Hamas on notice that while Israel will not initiate aggression, if Hamas starts another war this will be its last...

Q. And Abbas?

A. “Abbas is not interested in a solution for the Palestinian people..."

Q. Finally, Lieberman’s peace formula...

A. "The correct principle is the exchange of territories and populations rather than of land for peace."

Q. Was there anything significant Lieberman did not say?

A. He made no mention of the bodies of two IDF soldiers Hamas has held since the summer 2014 war...

Q. Turning to the right-wing establishment's designs regarding the Jewish character of Israel, Justice Minister Shaked reportedly made a significant statement a few weeks ago...

A. ...Shaked published what appears to be her credo as justice minister...

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Action Alert

Thank the Obama Administration for standing up for Israel at UNESCO

UNESCO ignored the Jewish - and Christian - ties to Jerusalem in a shocking resolution that refers to the Holy Basin only by its Muslim title, does not mention the Temple Mount the way Jews refer to the site, and uses quotation marks for the Western Wall Plaza but not for its Muslim name.

TAKE ACTION and thank President Obama and his administration for rejecting the anti-Israel bias of UNESCO's resolution. Share


Peace Now Director Avi Buskila profiled in YNet

Peace Now's Avi Buskila: "When citizens get up in the morning and send their kids to school, we want them to ask themselves if they want their children to grow in a country at war all their lives..."

The Israeli Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth published a comprehensive interview and profile of Avi Buskila, Peace Now's new executive director.

Go HERE to read translated excerpts and a link to the full interview.


Settlement Watch

New Illegal Outpost in the Northern Jordan Valley / Nearby Palestinian Structures Demolished

On October 25, Israeli settlers moved their illegal outpost from private Palestinian lands near Al-Khaimah to a nearby hill. This comes a month after the Palestinian structures in Al-Khaimah were demolished by the Israeli Civil Administration, which Peace Now has reason to believes is related to the outpost.

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Recommended Reading

Ha'aretz: "My UN Speech Reflected Love for Israel, Truth About Settlements"

By Lara Friedman, APN Director of Policy and Government Relations

...If there was ever a time to speak the truth about the settlements, it's now.

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News Nosh 10.27.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday October 27, 2016  
 
Quote of the day:
“Khaled’s blood cries out from the deathly silence that shrouds the empty classroom and from the flag in the schoolyard, lowered to half-staff. His blood cries out from the circumstances surrounding his death; a 15-year-old boy whom soldiers chased with their jeep because they suspected that he had thrown stones at their armored vehicle, until three soldiers got out and one shot him in the back from a distance of 20 meters, killing him as he fled desperately for his life. His blood cries out from the total disinterest his killing generated in Israel, as is the case with every killing of Palestinians. His blood cries out from the way this teenager, who participated in a Jewish-Arab soccer project, was portrayed as a ‘terrorist.’”
--Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy writes about the lack of Israeli reaction to the killing of a Palestinian teenager by soldiers, whom the IDF found had killed him despite not being in danger.*

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Peace Now Director Avi Buskila profiled in YNet

Buskila_YNet_profile_2016-320x265On October 21, the Israeli Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth published a comprehensive interview and profile of Avi Bouskila, Peace Now’s new executive director. The interview was subsequently translated into English and published by Yedioth’s online service, Ynet. Following is a selection of quotes from the article. To read the feature in its entirety, click here.

 

“Avi Buskila, the new director of Peace Now, is the opposite of a stereotypical leftist leader: his parents emigrated from Morocco, he grew up in the periphery, and he served as a combat soldier in the IDF.”

 

"I won’t apologize for serving in the IDF longer than Naftali Bennett or for living in the periphery longer than Miri Regev,’ he says defiantly.”

 

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Peace Now Settlement Watch: Update on The New Outpost in the Northern Jordan Valley

News from Peace Now's (Israel) Settlement Watch:

Earlier this week Haaretz reported that a new illegal outpost is being established on private Palestinian land near Givat Salit and near the Palestinian community of Al-Khaimah. Yesterday (25.10) the settlers moved the outpost from the private lands and re-established it on "state lands" in a nearby hill. 

It is yet to be seen whether the government takes action to evacuate the illegal structures or allows for the substantiation of a new outpost.

All of the structures in Al-Khaimah were demolished completely by the Civil Administration approximately a month ago and Peace Now tends to think that the demolition of Al-Khaimah and the establishment of the new outpost are related, in the sense that the settlers exerted pressure on the government to demolish specifically in that area. Furthermore, It is possible that the new illegal outpost is meant to serve as a bargaining chip by the settlers, who will demand demolitions of more Palestinian homes if the government will seek to enforce the law and evacuate them. Peace Now is familiar with at least one case in which this method was utilized by the settlers, when two years ago settlers established an illegal outpost near the settlement of Maskiyot and the Palestinian community of Ain al Hilweh and agreed to evacuate only after several Palestinian homes were demolished. 

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