Front Page News:

Haaretz

• Histadrut threatens to disable the economy (with general strike)
• 86% of services provided by Social Affairs Ministry are provided via private contractors
• Russian demonstratation of support for Assad, who continues to massacre his people
• Businessman David Appel: "I gave millions in cash to outgoing CEO of Mifal Hapayis
• Magen David Adom chasing public for unpaid ambulance bills
• Alternative band to represent Israel at Eurovision

• Preparation for strike
• Humiliation for Beitar Jerusalem soccer team
• (PM Bureau Chief Natan) Eshel: I peeked at R.'s emails
• Won with Meretz: MK Zahava Gal-On chosen as party chairwoman

• Night efforts to prevent enormous general strike
• Assad promised Russia he would stop the violence
• Natan Eshel questioned at Civil Service Commission and denied harassing R.

• As usual: Negotiations up till last minute – Night marathon in effort to prevent general strike
• Article in Newsweek: "It's possible to attack in Iran, and to succeed"
• Primaries in Meretz: Zahava Gal-on chosen as party chairwoman
• Today: High Court ruling in appeal of Ilana Dayan and Captain R on "Uvda" investigative show

News Summary:
The threat of a general strike was the biggest news in Israeli papers today (meanwhile, it has already begun), along with the Russian support for Syria's president and the win by MK Zahava Gal-On in the Meretz party primaries. Only Haaretz and Ynet reported on the racist graffiti 'price-tag' attack on a Jewish-Arab school. And Yedioth reported on a surprising joint tree-planting effort of Palestinians and settlers.

"Under my leadership, Meretz will bring Israel's Left home and turn to new groups (within the Israeli public) – it will no longer be a boutique, north Tel Avivian faction. Meretz will translate last summer's social protest into political power. It will be a true social-democratic party that supports dividing the land (of Israel)." These were the words of Zahava Gal-on who swept the Meretz party primaries yesterday. The 20-year-old party gained 12 Knesset seats at the height of its popularity, but in recent years had become irrelevant, with currently only three MKs. More details here.

'Death to Arabs' and 'Kahane was right' were spray-painted in Hebrew on a wall outside a bilingual Arab-Jewish school in Jerusalem yesterday. The name of the school, Yad B’Yad (Hebrew and Arabic for hand in hand), was not mentioned. Yad B'Yad was founded by Lee Gordon, an American immigrant to Israel. It was not the only victim. An ancient Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem had 'Death to Christians' spray-painted on it. Details here.

For years the Palestinian tree factory north of Hebron discharged dust which bothered the residents of Jumat Al-Shama village. So the owner built a wall, which bothered the residents of the nearby Efrat settlement. The mayor of Efrat suggested replacing the stone wall with a wall of trees to block the dirt and the factory owner agreed whole-heartedly, Yedioth reported. Jewish school children from the settlement will help Palestinian employees of the factory to plant the trees today on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, thereby fulfilling the Jewish mitzva of tree planting.  Meanwhile, far-right-wing Likud MK Danny Danon says he has arranged to bring "at least 1000" Likud members to plant 1000 trees inside the settlement of Itamar, in memory of the Fogel family that was murdered there.
 

Quick Hits:

• Lieberman thanks Clinton for U.S. stand on Iran (Haaretz)
• Haaretz exclusive: Organizer of Gaza flotilla sought assistance from Assad's office (Haaretz)
• Eshel affair: Eshel questioned for first time - In nine hour interrogation, Eshel said he did not photograph R. under table or read her cellphone text messages. Admitted to reading her emails, but said that is not a problem. (Yedioth, p. 1)
• Indictment: Hamas (minister and MP) resided in Jerusalem, avoided arrest (Ynet)
• Report: Israel will ask to station IAF jets in Cyprus (Ynet)
• 'Crazed attack' by (Minister) Vilnai in discussion on preparedness of home front - Witnesses said the Minister for the protection of the Home Front "lost control and attacked the people present with shouts." The reason: Government offices making light of the problem. (Maariv, p. 4)
• Arab MK Tibi censured for outburst against ethics committee chair  - 'There's one right that can't be taken away from me, and that's the right to protest by means of the right to remain silent,' Tibi said and stood in silence for one minute. (Haaretz)
• Israeli present to Ukrainian President: 5 guns - Victor Yankovitch's delegation asked Peres for the Israeli 'Desert Eagle' gun, but was refused. To avoid uncomfortable situation, foreign ministry bout him the gun and four 'Jerichos' for his delegation. (Maariv, p. 14)
• Lapid to supporters: Tell them how well I can cut red tape (Haaretz)
• Yair Lapid invited to AIPAC Conference - Still unclear if will appear before whole conference or closed panel. (Maariv, p. 18)
• Minister for Home Front Defense Matan Vilnai to be named envoy to China (Ynet)
• Teen sprays tear gas aboard bus; 9 hurt (Ynet)
• Number of students attending class trip to Poland skyrockets (Israel Hayom)
• 'Gas discoveries – worst thing for Israel' - Intel Israel CEO Maxine Fassberg believes gas or oil discoveries will hurt human capital, investment in education in long run. (Ynet)
• India to deport [Chabad couple] 'suspected Israeli agents' (Ynet)
• Like a prayer: Madonna to kick off world tour in Holy Land (Israel Hayom)
• Top officials at Zionist organization Hadassah probed over funds (Haaretz)
• Renowned Jewish film director questioned at Israel airport for sexual harassment (Haaretz)
• Christian hymns salve Jewish soul - Ex-yeshiva girl takes up sacred harp singing. (Haaretz)
• U.S. judge orders Baroque artwork returned to Italian Jew's heirs (Haaretz)
• Lavrov: Assad pledged end to violence (Ynet, Agencies)
• Gulf states recall Syria envoys (Agencies)
• Russian FM receives hero's welcome in Syria (Agencies)
• Iran sentences blogger to 14 years in jail (Agencies, Ynet)
• Poll: 2/3 of Iranians fear sanctions (Agencies, Ynet)
• Iran: US assets ban 'antagonistic' move (Agencies)
• Sanctions working? Iran defaults on payments to India (Agencies)
• Iran parliament summons Ahmadinejad over economic policy (Agencies)
• 'Iran doesn't dictate Hezbollah's actions' - Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah admits Shiite group gets 'spiritual, political and material assistance from Iran,' but stresses it makes its own decisions. (Ynet)

Features:

A story of Palestinian refugees, but not a 'nakba book' Tomer Gardi's debut book "Rock, Paper" examines the establishment of the Beit Ussishkin museum on Kibbutz Dan, where the writer was born. He found the museum's archives dusty but far from dull. (Haaretz)

Commentary/Analysis:

By avoiding peace, Netanyahu is punishing Israel (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu must end his obsessive search for flaws in the internal Palestinian agreement and focus instead on an initiative for ending the conflict. For he has the ability to do so.

Netanyahu can’t fly solo in deciding whether to strike Iran (Agencies and Israel Hayom) In 1981, Menachem Begin kept Knesset plenum and parliamentary security panel in the dark about plans to attack Iraq’s nuclear reactor.
 
The home that evicts its inhabitants (Avirama Golan, Haaretz) The government is now working on fear-mongering and warmongering, turning existential despair into panic, and panic into a basis for bonding.
 
West does not have monopoly on veto morality (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz) How can we compare an American veto on an issue as just and moral as an occupation to a veto that helps an oppressive regime massacre its citizens?
 
Still no decisive blow against Iran (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Everything that has been done is not enough to save humanity from the nightmare of a nuclear-armed Iran.

West should strike Syria (Merav Betito, Ynet) Just like it failed to bomb Auschwitz, world is doing nothing in face of Syria massacre.

Israel, Syria, and the double standards of the Free World (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz) While the Assad regime's massacre of Syrian civilians does not justify Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Israel's critics must acknowledge the rough neighborhood it lives in.

Small triumphs in a Sisyphean war (Amira Hass, Haaretz) Tender for a luxury development in Lifta, a Palestinian village on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, destroyed in 1948, was withdrawn by court order.
 
Lawyer, accountant, doctor, farmer (Elad Yana, Israel Hayom)Physical labor and agricultural work are inherent to the Jewish people, in just the same way as Talmud study, finance and legal careers are.

Supreme Court: the next generation (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The retirement of Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch marks the end of a generation and the beginning of an era of judicial restraint.
 
Wanted: A Goldstone inquiry into Syrian atrocities (Bradley Burston, Haaretz) The UN needs to send a direct message to Bashar Assad: A regime which resorts to war crimes will have to answer for them.
 

Interviews: 

Haunted by 'Jenin, Jenin' - In a Q&A, Arab-Israeli actor Mohammed Bakri tells how his 2003 documentary, and his current portrayal of a woman onstage test him emotionally. (Interview by Merav Michaeli, Haaretz)

 

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