Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Assad massacring civilians under cover of monitors
• Ultra-Orthodox demonstrated in Jerusalem in yellow stars and prisoner uniforms
• The battle over the High Court: Grunis Law will be voted on tomorrow, on Friday judge selection to be discussed
• MKs salaries to rise by 2300 shekels a month – Will receive monthly salary of 37,000 shekels
• In Israel and around the world they celebrated the New Year
• 23-year-old Israeli arrested in Chile on suspicion of causing massive fire in Patagonia National Park
• Half of Israeli museums fail to provide Arabic info, Haaretz learns

Yedioth Ahronoth

• 2012 Decrees – Year begins with price increases. New tax breaks, but the majority will not feel them
• Extremist ultra-Orthodox sent their children to demonstrate in Jerusalem with yellow stars and prisoners' uniforms against "Nazi decrees by the secular"
• "Israelis caused fire in Chile" - Rotem Singer arrested on suspicion that he, along with four friends, lit bonfire that burned down national park
• Man who ranover Lee (Zeitouni) again going wild – Police gave Claude Isaac speeding ticket and freed him

Maariv

• Ultra-Orthodox children with yellow stars - Child holding his hands up in surrender and men in prisoners' clothes loaded on trucks – thus they protested against "exclusion of ultra-Orthodox" in Jerusalem
• Israeli suspected of causing massive fire in Chile – Rotem Zinger, 23 from Nes Tsiona, admitted lighting fire in prohibited area in national park
• While they are shooting – EU preparing another round of talks on nuclear plan
• Hollywood experiences – With resume of 30 films, Shirley Brenner is making time for her second birth
• Welcome to 2012 – Guide to new Gregorian year that was received yesterday with a kiss

Israel Hayom

• 2012 – Billions of people around the world put the economic problems on the side and received the New Year with celebrations and kisses
• Trajtenberg Report tax breaks go into effect
• Oh, come on – Hundreds of ultra-Orthodx demonstrated yesterday in Jerusalem over what they call "incitement against the ultra-Orthodox community" – Most of the attention went to their despicable use of Holocaust symbols
• Israeli suspected of causing forest fire in Chile
• Republican primaries begin this week
• Mini-projector and 3-D printer: The gadgets that will make 2012

News Summary:
The main stories in Israeli papers today are how ultra-Orthodox demonstrated in Jerusalem using Holocaust symbols, that an Israeli is suspected of causing a massive fire in Chile's national park, and that Syria's regime continues to massacre its people under the nose of the monitors. On the sidelines were the latest moves by the US against the Iranian threat, Ynet's scoop that Israel and the Palestinians are set to finally talk and the attempt by right-wing MKs to draft a new law to prevent the removal of outposts. And, in a report on findings of white phosphorous in shells shot by Palestinians Ynet made an egregious mistake.
 
Yedioth reports that the US answer to the Iranian threat is arming its neighbors in the Persian Gulf. After closing a deal with Saudi Arabia last week, the US sealed a $3.48B missiles and technology sale to the UAE. Yedioth's Alex Fishman says Israel does not have to worry that its Gulf neighbors have advanced weaponry because after two years of talks with the US, Israel was compensated with F-35s, American cooperation in developing the Arrow-3 missiles, and other projects that are confidential.  Meanwhile, despite his reservations, Obama signed into a law a bill that imposes sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran's central bank.

Israel and the Palestinan Authority are set to resume talks under Jordanian mediation by Tuesday, Ynet reported. An Israeli source told Ynet “the talks are aimed against Hamas, which the Jordanian king can’t stand.” But, Jordan is talking infamilies of Hamas leaders from Damascus. A source told the Arabic daily al-Sharq al-Awsat that the Hashemite Kingdom agreed to accept families on condition that Hamas would not engage in any political activity there.
 
Another right-wing bill has been temporarily shelved by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Ministers delayed the discussion of a bill meant to prevent the removal of outposts. Currently, the IDF can order the eviction or razing of an illegal West Bank outpost, which the residents often appeal in the High Court. The new bill aims to revoke the defense establishment's ability to make such decisions and demands that it be left to the discretion of the courts.
 
Ynet reported that white phosphorous was found in two mortar shells fired from Gaza into an open field in Israel.  The substance is banned by international law for use inside dense populations. While portraying the Palestinians as violating international law, Ynet mistakenly reported that the IDF denied Palestinian claims that Israel used it inside the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead, when in fact Israel fired white phosphorous repeatedly throughout the 22-day operation causing grave injuries and deaths and later admitted to its use.

Quick Hits:

• Israel to resolve Palestinian house demolition orders by summer - If the demolition process is indeed accelerated, around 1,000 Palestinian children in particularly deprived communities stand to lose their schools. (Haaretz)
• Turkish PM urges Palestinian reconciliation in meeting with Hamas leader - Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh meets with Turkish PM Recip Tayyip Erdogan as part of official tour of the Muslim world. (Haaretz)
• Palestinians to seek UN talks on settlements - Executive committee of PLO says will request sessions with Security Council, Arab League to discuss halting construction in West Bank, east Jerusalem. (Agencies)
• 4 more ex-soldiers linked to Turkish ship looting - Discharged troops charged with purchasing laptops that were allegedly stolen from ship raided by commandoes in 2010 as it was making its way to Gaza. (Ynet)
• Youtube clip shows Israeli paratroopers dancing samba - In the video, 11 soldiers preformed their morning drill routine in an IDF boot camp, with Palestinian flags waving the background, to the upbeat Brazilian hit "Ai Se Eu Te Pego." (Ynet + VIDEO)
• Palestinian film: Jihad drove Israel away from Strip - New movie recreates 2005 shooting attack near Kissufim checkpoint, suggests terror led to Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Director reveals some footage obtained through IDF officer. (Ynet)
• Hundreds board segregated bus lines to protest ultra-Orthodox exclusion of women (Haaretz)
• Tunisia's first Jewish museum opens its doors - Community in Tunisia numbers only 1,500; Tunisian government supportive of the initiative and eager to restore tourism industry. (Israel Hayom)
• Egypt assures US it will not raid any more pro-democracy groups - U.S. threatens to cut off aid to Cairo if Egypt does not cease raiding NGOs. (Agencies)
• Muslim Brotherhood: Peace deal isn't binding (Ynet)
• UN presses Syria as death toll mounts - Syria government must give Arab League observers unhindered access, UN says, as dozens killed in bloody Friday across restive nation. (Agencies)
• Arab League advisory body urges end to Syria monitoring mission - Continued violence in presence of monitors 'has roused the anger of Arab people and negates the purpose of sending a fact-finding mission,' says chairman Arab Parliament. (Agencies)
• Syria fakes letter slamming exiles interviewed by Israeli media - Syrian state media publishes letter, allegedly sent by Yedioth Ahronoth, describing exiles who interviewed for the publication as traitors; document aims to spark conflict within opposition. (Yedioth and Ynet)
• Report: Son of Islamic Jihad founder jailed in Syria - Ibrahim Fathi Shaqaqi, 20, was arrested by security forces, Egyptian newspaper reports; family says regime intentionally keeping his whereabouts secret. (Ynet)
• Iran announces it has produced its first nuclear fuel rod (Israel Hayom)
• Iran proposes new nuclear talks with world powersTehran's nuclear negotiator formally calls on the six powers to return to the negotiation table, signaling that Iran is feeling toll of global sanctions. (Agencies)
• Iran denies testing long-range missiles - Senior Navy commander claims testing of long-range missiles has been delayed, state TV says, contradicting earlier reports; Tehran's nuclear negotiator to ask EU to resume atom talks, Mehr news agency says. (Ynet)

Commentary/Analysis:
In West Bank, Israel's rule is that of the jungle (Haaretz Editorial) In the hands of this government, which mainly involve moving buildings built on private lands to 'state lands', have become instruments to deepen the occupation and obstruct the two-state solution.
 
Israeli war drums ignore Hamas move for change (Gideon Levy, Haaretz) Instead of encouraging moderation, whether genuine or imaginary, whether strategic or tactical, Israel is rushing to nip it in the bud.
 
Will 2012 bring another Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza? (Amos Harel, Haaretz) Hamas was restrained by the IDF's incursion, but the continuing trickle of fire from the Gaza Strip could bring on another military conflagration.

2012: Assad's last year in power (Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) unified Syrian opposition front and independent Arab monitors are tightening the noose around Bashar Assad's neck.

World should be happy that Steve Jobs wasn't Israeli (Boaz Gaon, Haaretz) Had Steve Jobs been an Israeli, Apple's slogan would not have been "Think Different." It would have been "Think Like Everyone Else."

Obama signs bill that includes added U.S. military assistance to Israel (Natasha Mozgovaya's weekly US blog, Haaretz) Week's wrap-up: U.S. announces bounty of $10 million for information leading to the capture of al-Qaida financier Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil; Joshua Pollack tells Haaretz why he believes India is the 'fourth customer' of Abdul Qadeer Khan's nuclear know-how.
 
And now, the real thing (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) On Tuesday, the Iowa caucuses set off the real race to the White House. American Jews' worst nightmare is a choice between Paul and Obama in November, reminiscent of the choice between Jacques Chirac and Jean-Marie Le Pen in France in 2002.

Time for Israeli civil war? (Raanan Shaked, Ynet) Silent majority may have to resort to violent, non-democratic means to save Israel.

The Gathering Storm: A pessimistic prognosis for 2012 (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) A military attack on Iran, by either Israel or the U.S., might lead to no less catastrophic consequences than a nuclear-armed regime in Tehran.

2012: The year that could bring a U.S. strike of Iran (Yossi Melman, Haaretz) It is obvious that recent Obama administration rhetoric is not intended only to win re-election. It is also intended to signal to Iran that the United States stands by its word.

2011: The year the two state solution died (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz) Netanyahu can now take partial credit for having killed the two state solution. The other half goes to the Palestinians.

The burden of Casus Belli (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) By committing in advance to war in the event of a kidnapping, Israel is allowing its enemies to dictate the timing of the next war.

Divide Beit Shemesh (Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom) The only way to deal with zealots who won't accept anyone else is to separate them.

Spiteful Holocaust (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth) "The path must be paved for them [the ultra-Orthodox] to leave the ghetto walls – in higher education, professional training, and in giving due consideration to the majority of their demands as individuals. And at the same time, borders must be drawn for them: Reduce Yeshiva funding, rein in stipends, introduce core studies into their institutions of learning. This apparently demands a different coalition, which would not be dependent upon the ultra-orthodox vote. It would be no great disaster if the ultra-orthodox parties spent some time in the opposition. It's likely to benefit the country. And at the end of the day, it will benefit the ultra-orthodox."
 
**Who is a Jerusalemite? (Yehudit Oppenheimer, Director of Ir Amim, Ma'ariv) "One morning, the Mayor of Jerusalem wakes up and decides that 70,000 city residents, Jerusalemites from their stomach and their birth, will not be a part of the city. Is this decision part of the authority of the mayor? No. But Jerusalem is not a regular city. And what bothered Nir Barekat about nearly 10% of the city's residents? Did they stop paying taxes? Did they try to undermine the city's institutions? No and no. The declaration of Barekat affects residents of eight E. Jerusalem neighborhoods - in the area of Kalandia in the north and in the area of the Shuafat Refugee Camp in the northeast - all within the municipal boundaries that Israel declared in 1967 when it annexed the area to the united city. It's some 45 years those neighborhoods are part of the urban space of Jerusalem, where their residents make a living, and from where they receive few services..[due to] the separation barrier that was built in the last 10 years...The declaration by the Mayor of Jerusalem that 70,000 eastern Jerusalem residents are not part of the capital portends disaster, and will lead to a migration that will change the demographic balance...The declaration exposes the aspirations of the discriminating policies: Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem while emptying it of its Palestinian residents...Cutting off the E. Jerusalem neighborhoods from Jerusalem and putting them behind the fence will not bring the results that Barekat is hoping for. Just the opposite it will cause a new wave of migration, as the fence already caused in the past...A city which cuts itself off from its residents partially or completely shows that the perception of the city as united was, at best, conditional.


Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.