News Nosh 11.27.13

by APN 11/27/13
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APN's daily news review from Israel

Wednesday November 27, 2013

 

Quote of the day:

"You and I can change the world."
--Title of iconic song of Israeli singer Arik Einstein, who passed away suddenly last night, leaving a country in sorrow. **


Front Page News:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv

  • You and I (and beautiful lyrics of the song)
  • Arik Einstein 1939-2013 (Hebrew)
  • The greatest one of them all // Aviad Pohoriles, Maariv journalist who met with him hours before he died to edit his first Friday column for Maariv (Hebrew)
  • The dramatic night at the hospital, stations in his life, and the songs that turned into treasures, the eulogies and the reactions

Israel Hayom

 

Peace Talk Highlights:
**The pages of today's Israeli papers mourned the death last night of Israeli singer and icon, Arik Einstein, 74, lamenting the loss of the 'Good Israeli:' a man so modest and humble he stopped performing in public in the early '80's because the attention on him made him uncomfortable. Einstein was one of the founders of Israeli rock, a man of peace, and one of the anti-war songs he sang, Chocolate Soldier, was even banned from Army radio. (Meanwhile, another famous Israeli singer, Eyal Golan, 42, who has recently been called 'the Ugly Israeli', has left to London for 'a break' after being interrogated and held under house arrest on suspicion of sex and drugs with a minor.) Iran was no longer a top story (see Quick Hits for the latest). And barely mentioned was the fact that yesterday, the UN declared 2014 the Year of Palestinian Solidarity (NRG Hebrew). Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor slammed the UN 'anti-Israel bias' and declared that "Peace is not achieved by changing your nameplate at the UN." Meanwhile, PLO leader Nabil Shaath said that Palestine would use the 'weapon' of joining more international organizations, including the International Criminal Court at the Hague, if peace talks with Israel failed to result in a breakthrough after five months. "The negotiations are falling on deaf ears," Shaath told Ma'an. "The distance between us and them is huge, and that is apparent in the statements of their leaders regarding Jerusalem, the West Bank and the (Jordan) Valley," he said.
 

Quick Hits:

  • Horizon 2020 crisis: Israel and EU compromise on terms of joint initiative, following rift over settlement funding ban - Livni and Ashton draft agreement following day-long marathon telephone negotiations. EU agrees to give loans to companies that work with people and businesses over the Green Line, but Israel will have to insure money is invested solely within Green Line. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • IDF kills 3 Palestinians in south Mt. Hebron - Following exchange of gunfire, IDF kills two Palestinians suspected of planning terror attack. Third suspect nabbed later, shot to death. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Israel transfers bodies of 2 Palestinians killed near Hebron - Israeli forces late Tuesday handed over the bodies of two of the three Palestinians shot dead earlier that evening. The third body was not delivered by Israeli forces. (Maan)
  • Factions declare day of mourning after Hebron killings - Palestinian nationalist and Islamic factions in Hebron declared day of mourning for 3 Palestinian men killed Tuesday by Israeli forces in Yatta. A statement also called on Palestinians to "beware of Israeli media which disseminates poisonous reports in an attempt to harm Palestinian unity." (Maan)
  • Israel faces new power in West Bank: Growing Salafist group with Al-Qaida leanings - Rise in popularity attributed to the increased activity of factions with similar ideology in Egypt's Sinai and the Syrian civil war. (Haaretz)
  • Medics: Israeli forces shoot, injure Palestinian in south Gaza - Israeli forces shot and injured a 23-year-old Palestinian man on Tuesday in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. An Israeli army spokeswoman said forces had no record of the incident. (Maan)
  • Settlers attack Palestinian home with Molotov cocktails in Nablus - Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian home with two Molotov cocktails in Burin village south of Nablus. A fire broke out, causing extensive damage, but the owners were able to extinguish the fire before it destroyed the entire house. (Maan and NRG Hebrew)
  • Settlers bulldoze Palestinian lands west of Salfit, chop olive trees - Israeli settlers raided lands in the northern West Bank with bulldozers on early Tuesday morning in order to level the area to prepare it for expansion of the nearby Ariel settlement block. (Maan)
  • Case against officers who tasered settler closed - Police Investigations Unit says video that showed arrest of Boaz Albert was ' tendentiously edited'; circumstances justified used of electroshock weapon. (Ynet and Israel HayomVIDEO)
  • Rights group urges tougher EU measures on settler violence - In a new report, "Institutionalized Impunity: Israel's Failure to Combat Settler Violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory", Al-Haq documents settler violence as an "extensive, long-term, and worsening phenomenon." (Maan)
  • Jews and Arabs were told to use separate lanes at West Bank crossing - Discrimination between Israeli citizens contradicts IDF instructions issued two years ago. Now the military is clarifying this ruling to soldiers. (Haaretz)
  • Palestinian workers crowding West Bank buses, right-wing activists complain - Pro-settlement protests target two of the most right-wing Likud MKs - Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and his deputy, Tzipi Hotovely. (Haaretz)
  • Palestinian village facing demolition awaits its fate - After six-year legal battle, Israel High Court to decide today whether to village of Zanuta in south West Bank will be destroyed, with the homes of 26 Palestinian families. (Maan)
  • Israel prevents construction of Palestinian wells near Yabad - Israeli forces on Tuesday confiscated two pieces of digging equipment from Bartaa al-Sharqiya village in Jenin area. (Maan)
  • Israeli police detain Palestinian man, mother near al-Aqsa - Israeli police detained a Palestinian man and his mother while they were at a cotton market in the Old City of Jerusalem. Her son Tariq al-Hashlamoun intervened before police officers detained both. (Maan)
  • Palestinian Authority 'detains Israeli drugs suspects' near Nablus - Palestinian security forces on Tuesday detained two Israeli citizens accused of distributing drugs in Beita village south of Nablus. (Maan)
  • More sleep than action in army's mock occupation of Ashkelon' - It's upsetting that to them Ashkelon resembles Gaza, but if this helps, what can we do?' said one resident of the city, which has been the target of rocket attacks. (Haaretz)
  • Who is a combat soldier? New definitions approved by army chief - Growing presence of technology in the battlefield challenges traditional definition of a combatant in the military. (Haaretz)
  • Haleli Jabotinsky follows in her great-grandfather's footsteps - The great-granddaughter of Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky is one of dozens of Jewish Agency delegates on North American college campuses promoting a positive image of Israel. "I am proud and excited to continue my great-grandfather's legacy," she says. (Israel Hayom)
  • Financial straits: 20% of Israelis can't afford food - Study findings reveal despair among many layers of society. Rabbi: 'Poverty in Israel a strategic threat on our existence.' (Ynet)
  • Arab Idol Assaf appeal for UN Palestinian agency - Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf on Tuesday joined appeals to raise money for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA says it may not be able to pay staff wages in December because of a $36 million budget deficit. (Maan)
  • Health Ministry: Wounded Syrians may carry dangerous pathogens - Some 350 Syrians have been treated in Israeli hospitals, and the Health Ministry has found high levels of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria among them. Official: The danger is that the germs could spread and cause serious infections in Israel. (Israel Hayom)
  • PA premier in Qatar to address Gaza power crisis - Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah is scheduled to discuss with Qatari officials possible solutions to end the ongoing power crisis in the Gaza Strip. (Maan)
  • New Egyptian constitution expected to entrench role of military - Events in Egypt cause dilemma and split in Washington, with Kerry floating a pro-military policy to prevent emergence of anti-U.S. axis. (Haaretz)
  • Report: Mossad spy ring uncovered in Egypt - Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper says 17 people implicated in espionage for Israel have been detained by Egyptian security forces. Report alleges some of the suspects are diplomats. Cairo sources say case has been placed under a comprehensive gag order. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel's ex-security chiefs stand with the international community on Iran deal - The dilemma facing Israel is whether to continue to clash publicly with the U.S. or try to rehabilitate relations, influence the quality of supervision at the nuclear sites, and help craft a final agreement. (Haaretz)
  • Report: Israel's geostrategic status in Mideast improves - Mossad briefs political-security cabinet on recent develoments in region, addressing Syria chemical disramament, Egypt domestic affairs, Hezbollah's fortification. (Ynet)
  • Top French and British diplomats visiting Israel to coordinate positions on Iran - Chief French negotiator at Iran talks already in Jerusalem, while Britain's negotiator will arrive Wednesday; Hague: Britain wants to work together, but expects Israel not to sabotage Iran agreement. (Haaretz)
  • Rohani: Israel isolated after Geneva deal - In interview marking first 100 days in office, Iranian president says 'everyone is happy about (nuclear) deal' except for 'that regime, which is an illegitimate one that occupies.' (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Iran: US fact sheet on nuclear deal is inaccurate - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzia Afkham: Nuclear deal fact sheet released by the U.S. State Department is a one-sided interpretation. Iran claims key details from the deal were modified. (Israel Hayom)
  • Poll: Americans back Iran deal by 2-to-1 margin - Reuters/Ipsos survey shows 44% of Americans support interim deal between Iran and six world powers; 22% oppose it. Only 20% want US military force to be used if deal fails, but support for Israel remains high. (Agencies, Ynet)


Features:

Berlin dance floors bringing Israelis and Iranians together - Hundreds dance to the beats dropped by Israeli and Iranian DJs - could Techno music bring the two sides together? (JTA, Haaretz)

Commentary/Analysis:

The price of deception and apartheid (Haaretz Editorial) The European Union is making an important contribution to Israel's future by refusing to transfer funds to the settlements.
New Iran, new U.S., same old Bibi (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz) Iran's nuclear program has already achieved its goal. 
Democracy in Israel is a luxury, just as long as you're Jewish (Aeyal Gross, Haaretz) Non-Jews enjoy less and less democracy. Just ask the Bedouin of Umm al-Hiran.
Iran has nothing to celebrate (Menashe Amir, Israel Hayom) Tehran stands to emerge as the biggest loser from the Geneva deal as its dire economic straits have driven it to make concessions to which it never would have agreed in the past.
So who do we attack now? (Kobi Niv, Haaretz) With the Iran deal done, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu desperately needs a new target for his frustration and anger. 
Geneva deal a victory (Alon Pinkas, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel acting like isolated, deceived, over-righteous country, insisting on snatching loss from jaws of victory.
The P51-Iran interim deal: Let the haggling begin (Emily B. Landau, Haaretz) The brakes have been put on Iran's nuclear program, but the war of interpretations has only just started. 
The main battle is still ahead of us (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The Iran deal is bad, but Netanyahu's pressure helped; now Israel has to decide how to proceed. 
Hanukkah's Temple Mount incitement (David Landau, Haaretz) The 'hunt for incitement' by both Israelis and Palestinians sometimes veers toward the hysterical, and is too often steeped in ignorance of the other's religious texts and traditions. 
Obvious care for sick child (Ariela Ringel-Hoffman, Yedioth/Ynet) Caring for Amal Haniyeh, the granddaughter of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, is not part of media battle over Israel's image in international arena.
American Jews, embrace your dual loyalties (Dov Waxman, Haaretz) The Iran nuclear agreement has set up American Jews' nightmare scenario: an apparently intractable conflict between their allegiances to the U.S. and to Israel. 
The link tethering Abbas and Khamenei (Prof. Ron Breiman, Israel Hayom) The rhetoric uttered by Iran's supreme leader and the president of the Palestinian Authority is identical, and its message is clear.
For the love of Israel, eradicate Subliminal hate (Arie Hasit, Haaretz) The call by the rapper Sumbliminal to burn Palestinian prisoners in response to the murder of an Israeli soldier stripped him of all rights he once had to be a Jewish ambassador.


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

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