APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday March 22, 2015
Quote of the day:
"Don’t cry when your children die in the next military campaign...You again elected the
leader who promises us death and not life, fear and not hope."
--Israeli author Yehonatan Geffen wrote on Facebook following the elections and on Friday he was attacked at his home.**
--Israeli author Yehonatan Geffen wrote on Facebook following the elections and on Friday he was attacked at his home.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Obama: I believe Netanyahu is not interested in a Palestinian state
- Today talks begin between party heads and President Rivlin over forming coalition
- Rouhani: It’s possible to reach a nuclear agreement
- Yehonatan Geffen attacked inside his home by unknown person who called him a “leftist traitor”
- At least 142 killed in terror attacks on Shiite mosques in Yemenite capital
Yedioth Ahronoth
- “Negotiations will be more difficult than expected” – Forming a coalition government
- IDF will release thousands of reservists
- Obama removes the gloves: Netanyahu sins against the basic values of the Jewish state
- “Mommy, save me” – 7 Jewish children killed in fire in Brooklyn home
- The Israeli bride of the Depeche Mode lead singer
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Going to the President – Rivlin will open discussions with leaders of parties elected to 20th Knesset
- (Herzog-Netanyahu) Unity is a must // Adv. Yehiel Gotman
- And thank you to the polls // Lior Dayan
- Moment after the elections: State decided not to use the gold stock to prevent the dismissal of Israel Chemical employees
- “They won’t shut our mouths” – Members of family of Yehonatan Gefen, who was attacked at entrance of his home after writing against Netanyahu, defend him
- Seven (ultra-Orthodox) siblings died in a fire in Brooklyn
Israel Hayom
- “Obama will hug Iran at the expense of Israel” – In Jerusalem, warning that “he is charging ahead with negotiations with Palestinians in order to divert attention from the compromises with Iran”; Obama attacks Netanyahu in the wake of the elections
- Obama can relax: There is democracy in Israel // Boaz Bismuth
- 7 children died: “Mommy, help me”
- Guys, don’t exaggerate with demands, Netanyahu won // Haim Shine
- The results disrupted the plans of future (coalition) partners // Mati Tuchfeld
- So who here is the racist? // Dror Eydar
News Summary:
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu faces tough work ahead to form a coalition government and tough love from the US administration and American Jewish community over his statements against a Palestinian state and Arab voters, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, after Netanyahu’s victory left-wing - right-wing tension becomes violent in Israel and nuclear talks with Iran progress.
US President Barack Obama said he believes Netanyahu is not interested in a Palestinian state and that his administration is evaluating options “to make sure that we don't see a chaotic situation in the region” following Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution and subsequent backtracking, the papers reported. That comes after White House Spokesman Josh Earnest expressed the administration’s displeasure and lack of trust in Netanyahu Friday, saying, "The divergent comments by the prime minister call into question his commitment to a two-state solution. He indicated a weakness in his commitment [to a two-state solution]… And I think that's putting it charitably,” Haaretz+ and Yedioth reported. Ynet noted that US-Israeli journalist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote that Obama won't spend political capital on Netanyahu. And the UN chief, the French President and the German Chancellor all asked Netanyahu to reiterate support for a Palestinian state. Indeed, speaking to NPR in an interview broadcast Friday, Netanyahu made another attempt to disavow his pre-election rejection of a two-state solution. Haaretz quoted from the New York Times article that Netanyahu’s anti-Palestinian state statement puts Hillary Clinton in a problematic situation.
Meanwhile, more people reacted angrily both in Israel and the US following the race-baiting by Netanyahu to get right-wing voters to vote because “the Arabs are voting in droves.” Opposition leader and Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog said Netanyahu “humiliated Israeli Arabs to garner votes.” He called it “fraudulent and racist. And it worked.” Meretz MK Issawi Freij petitioned President Reuvlin Rivlin to condition giving Netanyahu the right to form a coalition government on Netanyahu apologizing to the Arabs." (Maariv) Joint (Arab) List MK Yousef Jabareen called on Netanyahu to apologize. "Could anyone imagine a European leader saying he was worried about high voter turnout among Jews in his country," asked new MK Adv. Yousef Jabareen. The Jewish-Arab Israeli co-existence organization, The Abraham Fund, accused Netanyahu of "crossing all red lines” and said, “The elections in Israel may be over, but unnecessary damage has been done.” (Maariv) Zionist Camp co-leader Tzipi Livni said, "Netanyahu turned left-wingers into enemies of the State of and it's hard to watch.” Speaking on Army Radio last Thursday she said: "He sows fear which is gradually penetrating into the country and generating fear and hatred of the Arab population." (Maariv)
**After the elections, bitter anger rose among left-wingers against Israelis living in the periphery, who are mostly from a lower socio-economic background and many of whom supported Netanyahu. Some left-wingers reacted by creating a Facebook group called ‘Don’t Give,' where they write they won't support policies to raise minimum wage or prevent older people from being fired or donate to the poor, saying that if these people re-elected Netanyahu, they can only blame themselves for their poor economic situation. “Factories are closing, 50-year-olds with no future are being fired, Qassam rockets, neglect of the periphery -- I don't want to hear another word about it." Herzog condemned the group. This comes after author Alona Kimhi wrote on Facebook about right-wing voters who re-elected Netanyahu: "Long live stupidity, convictions and false consciousness. Drink cyanide, you fu**ing Neanderthals. You won. Only death will save you from yourself.” She later erased the post. And an Israeli professor wrote that right-wing votes can be a sign of mental retardation. (Maariv) Israeli author and journalist Yehonatan Geffen wrote on his Facebook page the day after elections that election day “March 17th should be declared the Nakba Day of the peace camp (Nakba – “catastrophe” in Arabic – is the term used by Palestinians in reference to what happened to them when Israel was founded in 1948.)…Instead of a change we got a change to fear. The people have again elected a person whose rule is based on scaring the people, a racist who on election day told the media: ‘The Arabs are voting in droves!’ And what would we have said if a candidate in another country, Germany for example, would have said on election day, ‘The Jews are rushing to vote like mice’? And the most important thing that needs to be said after the election results to all those who chose the ballot for Bibi: Don’t cry when your children die in the next military campaign, which maybe will be called, ‘Strawberry Smoke’ – You again elected the leader who promises us death and not life, fear and not hope. But despite the disappointment and hopelessness – we cannot give up, cry or complain. Few as we are, we must continue to battle and protest against the regime of fear and hatred and unite for love and peace.” (Maariv) On Friday, Geffen was beaten at the door of his home by a man who called him a 'leftist traitor, making headlines.
In the US, Netanyahu’s statements have alienated many Jews and even conservatives are denouncing them. The Rabbinical Assembly said, “We must condemn the prime minister’s statement, singling out Arab citizens for exercising their legitimate right to vote.” Reform movement head Rick Jacobs said, "This is going to be a challenging time." Maariv and Haaretz wrote about a general difficulty among all of the US Jewish community in supporting Israel. Haaretz+’s Chemi Shalev quoted J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami, who said that the division will now be between the liberal Jews who continue to support Israel and those who have moved to the BDS camp. Maariv’s Shlomo Shamir writes that "the concern expressed in all the talks with (US) Jews in recent days is that Netanyahu’s defiant conduct and a narrow right-wing religious government will accelerate and increase the distancing from Israel – a move felt in recent years among large parts of the Jewish community of America and especially among the younger generation. Only Israel Hayom wrote that the Netanyahu re-election will splinter the US Jewish community into Right and Left camps and intensify questions of what it means to be loyal to the Jewish state.
The papers also discussed the progress on the Iran nuclear talks and France’s differences with the US on compromises, but only Israel Hayom wrote that Israel says that the reason Obama is pressing for a two-state solution is to divert attention from the Iran talks.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu faces tough work ahead to form a coalition government and tough love from the US administration and American Jewish community over his statements against a Palestinian state and Arab voters, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, after Netanyahu’s victory left-wing - right-wing tension becomes violent in Israel and nuclear talks with Iran progress.
US President Barack Obama said he believes Netanyahu is not interested in a Palestinian state and that his administration is evaluating options “to make sure that we don't see a chaotic situation in the region” following Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution and subsequent backtracking, the papers reported. That comes after White House Spokesman Josh Earnest expressed the administration’s displeasure and lack of trust in Netanyahu Friday, saying, "The divergent comments by the prime minister call into question his commitment to a two-state solution. He indicated a weakness in his commitment [to a two-state solution]… And I think that's putting it charitably,” Haaretz+ and Yedioth reported. Ynet noted that US-Israeli journalist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote that Obama won't spend political capital on Netanyahu. And the UN chief, the French President and the German Chancellor all asked Netanyahu to reiterate support for a Palestinian state. Indeed, speaking to NPR in an interview broadcast Friday, Netanyahu made another attempt to disavow his pre-election rejection of a two-state solution. Haaretz quoted from the New York Times article that Netanyahu’s anti-Palestinian state statement puts Hillary Clinton in a problematic situation.
Meanwhile, more people reacted angrily both in Israel and the US following the race-baiting by Netanyahu to get right-wing voters to vote because “the Arabs are voting in droves.” Opposition leader and Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog said Netanyahu “humiliated Israeli Arabs to garner votes.” He called it “fraudulent and racist. And it worked.” Meretz MK Issawi Freij petitioned President Reuvlin Rivlin to condition giving Netanyahu the right to form a coalition government on Netanyahu apologizing to the Arabs." (Maariv) Joint (Arab) List MK Yousef Jabareen called on Netanyahu to apologize. "Could anyone imagine a European leader saying he was worried about high voter turnout among Jews in his country," asked new MK Adv. Yousef Jabareen. The Jewish-Arab Israeli co-existence organization, The Abraham Fund, accused Netanyahu of "crossing all red lines” and said, “The elections in Israel may be over, but unnecessary damage has been done.” (Maariv) Zionist Camp co-leader Tzipi Livni said, "Netanyahu turned left-wingers into enemies of the State of and it's hard to watch.” Speaking on Army Radio last Thursday she said: "He sows fear which is gradually penetrating into the country and generating fear and hatred of the Arab population." (Maariv)
**After the elections, bitter anger rose among left-wingers against Israelis living in the periphery, who are mostly from a lower socio-economic background and many of whom supported Netanyahu. Some left-wingers reacted by creating a Facebook group called ‘Don’t Give,' where they write they won't support policies to raise minimum wage or prevent older people from being fired or donate to the poor, saying that if these people re-elected Netanyahu, they can only blame themselves for their poor economic situation. “Factories are closing, 50-year-olds with no future are being fired, Qassam rockets, neglect of the periphery -- I don't want to hear another word about it." Herzog condemned the group. This comes after author Alona Kimhi wrote on Facebook about right-wing voters who re-elected Netanyahu: "Long live stupidity, convictions and false consciousness. Drink cyanide, you fu**ing Neanderthals. You won. Only death will save you from yourself.” She later erased the post. And an Israeli professor wrote that right-wing votes can be a sign of mental retardation. (Maariv) Israeli author and journalist Yehonatan Geffen wrote on his Facebook page the day after elections that election day “March 17th should be declared the Nakba Day of the peace camp (Nakba – “catastrophe” in Arabic – is the term used by Palestinians in reference to what happened to them when Israel was founded in 1948.)…Instead of a change we got a change to fear. The people have again elected a person whose rule is based on scaring the people, a racist who on election day told the media: ‘The Arabs are voting in droves!’ And what would we have said if a candidate in another country, Germany for example, would have said on election day, ‘The Jews are rushing to vote like mice’? And the most important thing that needs to be said after the election results to all those who chose the ballot for Bibi: Don’t cry when your children die in the next military campaign, which maybe will be called, ‘Strawberry Smoke’ – You again elected the leader who promises us death and not life, fear and not hope. But despite the disappointment and hopelessness – we cannot give up, cry or complain. Few as we are, we must continue to battle and protest against the regime of fear and hatred and unite for love and peace.” (Maariv) On Friday, Geffen was beaten at the door of his home by a man who called him a 'leftist traitor, making headlines.
In the US, Netanyahu’s statements have alienated many Jews and even conservatives are denouncing them. The Rabbinical Assembly said, “We must condemn the prime minister’s statement, singling out Arab citizens for exercising their legitimate right to vote.” Reform movement head Rick Jacobs said, "This is going to be a challenging time." Maariv and Haaretz wrote about a general difficulty among all of the US Jewish community in supporting Israel. Haaretz+’s Chemi Shalev quoted J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami, who said that the division will now be between the liberal Jews who continue to support Israel and those who have moved to the BDS camp. Maariv’s Shlomo Shamir writes that "the concern expressed in all the talks with (US) Jews in recent days is that Netanyahu’s defiant conduct and a narrow right-wing religious government will accelerate and increase the distancing from Israel – a move felt in recent years among large parts of the Jewish community of America and especially among the younger generation. Only Israel Hayom wrote that the Netanyahu re-election will splinter the US Jewish community into Right and Left camps and intensify questions of what it means to be loyal to the Jewish state.
The papers also discussed the progress on the Iran nuclear talks and France’s differences with the US on compromises, but only Israel Hayom wrote that Israel says that the reason Obama is pressing for a two-state solution is to divert attention from the Iran talks.
Quick Hits:
- Palestinians: Jewish settlers wounded 6-year-old girl near Hebron - The girl was collecting food for family's livestock near the (illegal outpost) Havat Ma'on cowsheds when 2 settlers started throwing stones at them; girl lightly wounded from stone that hit her head. (Haaretz+, Maan, Israel Hayom and Ynet)
- Settlers enter Palestinian apartment building in Silwan - Building in East Jerusalem neighborhood adjoining Old City occupied Friday by settlers from Elad organization while resident was at police station after being summoned for questioning. (Haaretz+)
- Clashes in Silwan as Palestinians protest settler takeover - The clashes began after Israeli security guards prevented members of the al-Malhi family from entering the building to access their apartment. Settlers had taken over three of four apartments in the building earlier in the day. (Maan)
- Israeli court rules against land confiscation in Silwan by Jerusalem municipality - The one dunam (0.25 acre) property is owned by Fatima al-Abbasi from Silwan and a building under construction currently stands there. (Maan)
- EU report: Jerusalem has reached 'dangerous boiling point' - Guardian quotes leaked report warning of the escalating situation in the city and calling for more sanctions against settlement products and 'known violent settlers.' (Haaretz)
- Motorcycle procession reaches Al-Aqsa mosque compound - A procession of motorcycles protesting restriction of Palestinians to access Al-Aqsa mosque arrived at the mosque's compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, having set off from Jaffa Saturday morning. It was organized by the 'Youth for Al-Aqsa' group. (Maan)
- 2 children shot during clashes with PA security forces - Two Palestinian children were injured, one seriously, in clashes with Palestinian security forces near Balata refugee camp in eastern Nablus on Friday. (Maan)
- Clashes after settler trailer set ablaze near Nablus - Consequently, Israeli forces and settlers raided the nearby village of Iraq Burin over suspicions that a Palestinian from the village was involved in the arson. Forces then imposed curfew on the village, sparking clashes. (Maan)
- Israeli forces suppress weekly protest in Bilin - Hundreds of Palestinians, foreign and Israeli peace activists are said to have taken part in the march, which was called for by the Bilin popular committee to protest Israeli settlements and the separation wall. (Maan)
- Monitor: 15 Palestinians with cancer at risk of dying in Israeli jails - Many others have tumors whose malignancy is not known because Israeli prison authorities have limited their access to tests, said Association of Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners. (Maan)
- IDF to probe mortar attack on UNRWA school in Gaza war - Investigation, one of six newly announced, will assess whether attack in which 20 civilians died involved criminal wrongdoing on the army’s part. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- UN commission blames Israel for plight of Palestinian women - Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor denounced the resolution saying it was further proof of the UN's bias against Israel. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Female IDF soldiers barred from mess hall due to presence of ultra-Orthodox troops - ‘If a female officer can’t sit in the mess hall, we’ve gone crazy,’ a reservist soldier said. (Haaretz+)
- Republican U.S. Speaker John Boehner to visit Israel two weeks after Netanyahu’s victory - Trip was arranged before election but is likely to be a 'victory celebration' for Netanyahu and Obama's arch rival. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Northern Irish Nobel laureate MaGuire told to pay bond to enter Israel - Nobel Prize laureate Mairead MaGuire barred from entering Israel after participating in 2010 Gaza flotilla, but sought to attend West Bank conference. (Haaretz+)
- Al-Zahar: Resistance will reach West Bank in spite of Israel - Hamas poliburo member Mahmoud Zahar also said that his movement had a thousand ways to end the blockade of Gaza and would not accept its continuation. (Maan)
- Palestinian students invent vest that helps the blind navigate without canes - The vest directs the visually impaired with voice commands and vibration. (Agencies, Haaretz+)
- Hamas exhibition in Nablus glorifies terror attacks - Organizers say exhibit's message is 'to justify all attacks as a reaction from Hamas supporters against settlers in Jerusalem'. (Ynet)
- From zoo to refugee camp: Gaza family adopts lion cubs - Feeding the new additions to the family, however, is proving costly. (Haaretz)
- White House chief of staff to headline J Street conference - J Street announced Denis McDonough as its speaker on Thursday. (Haaretz+)
- Pro-Palestinian ad campaign takes over walls of US cities - Commuters in cities across the United States were surprised this month to find their daily trips to work adorned with posters and banners calling on their government to end military support to Israel. (Maan)
- UN says violence on Lebanon-Israel border risks new conflict - Security Council warns recent violence along Israel's border with Lebanon poses threat for renewed conflict after spotting unauthorized weapons in UN buffer zone. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Syrian opposition welcomed Netanyahu: "thank him for his help" - The liaison between the Syrian opposition parties and Israeli sources aid they are grateful for the humanitarian aid and for opening borders despite risks involved in evacuating wounded from Syria. (Maariv)
- Four charged in attack on Israeli tourists in Argentina's Patagonia - Attack that hurt 10 Israelis was motivated by 'hatred against a religion and against one nationality,' judge says. (JTA, Haaretz)
- The year of the dragon: Israel enjoys record trade with China - The Chinese acquisition of Adama, Tnuva and Phoenix Holdings generated the buzz, but Israelis and Chinese were partners in a wide range of investments and acquisitions in 2014. (Haaretz+)
- Iran president says all nuclear issues can be resolved - Rohani says recent developments in nuclear talks could lead to final deal; Kerry cites 'substantial progress' but notes important gaps still remain. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
700 Israelis whose homes don't exist
No authority wants anything to do with the unrecognized village of Dahamesh, whose residents hoped for good news at the High Court this week. But discussion on their future was deferred again. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
Secret history: How the Mossad became entangled in a political assassination
In the 1960s, Israel's external security service found itself in a compromising situation when it was asked to help carry out an assassination by a secret ally, that later sent shockwaves through the country's highest echelons and whose effects are still felt today. (Ronen Bergman, Shlomo Nakdimon, Yedioth/Ynet)
Peaceniks, careful who you mix with, warns author of 'Catch the Jew!'
After embarking on a quest to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Tuvia Tenenbom calls on Israeli peace activists not to cooperate with unworthy aid groups that are not operating in good faith. (Einat Talmon, Haaretz+)
Staunch supporters and swing voters: Meet the people who chose Netanyahu
'The truth is I can’t not vote Likud,' says a Likud voter in the south. 'What’s a job worth in a war?' says another. (Roy (Chicky) Arad, Haaretz+)
For these settlers, legalizing marijuana trumps Greater Land of Israel
Ballot breakdown shows Green Leaf party did especially well among voters in the West Bank and young soldiers. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Israeli media asking itself how it got the election so wrong
Journalists misread the political landscape, newspapers were blatantly biased and polls proved to be utterly mistaken. (Haaretz+)
Amos Oz has a recipe for saving Israel
To prevent the emergence of a dictatorship of fanatic Jews, or of an Arab state in Israel, we must stop trying to 'manage the conflict' and create two states here. Now. Excerpts from two recent talks by Oz. (Amos Oz, pre-elections, Haaretz+)
This Day in Jewish History / A Zionist trust is formed to settle Palestine
Created in 1899, the Jewish Colonial Trust would weather Turkish suspicions in World War I and become the bank for the State of Israel. (David B. Green, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
No authority wants anything to do with the unrecognized village of Dahamesh, whose residents hoped for good news at the High Court this week. But discussion on their future was deferred again. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+)
Secret history: How the Mossad became entangled in a political assassination
In the 1960s, Israel's external security service found itself in a compromising situation when it was asked to help carry out an assassination by a secret ally, that later sent shockwaves through the country's highest echelons and whose effects are still felt today. (Ronen Bergman, Shlomo Nakdimon, Yedioth/Ynet)
Peaceniks, careful who you mix with, warns author of 'Catch the Jew!'
After embarking on a quest to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Tuvia Tenenbom calls on Israeli peace activists not to cooperate with unworthy aid groups that are not operating in good faith. (Einat Talmon, Haaretz+)
Staunch supporters and swing voters: Meet the people who chose Netanyahu
'The truth is I can’t not vote Likud,' says a Likud voter in the south. 'What’s a job worth in a war?' says another. (Roy (Chicky) Arad, Haaretz+)
For these settlers, legalizing marijuana trumps Greater Land of Israel
Ballot breakdown shows Green Leaf party did especially well among voters in the West Bank and young soldiers. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Israeli media asking itself how it got the election so wrong
Journalists misread the political landscape, newspapers were blatantly biased and polls proved to be utterly mistaken. (Haaretz+)
Amos Oz has a recipe for saving Israel
To prevent the emergence of a dictatorship of fanatic Jews, or of an Arab state in Israel, we must stop trying to 'manage the conflict' and create two states here. Now. Excerpts from two recent talks by Oz. (Amos Oz, pre-elections, Haaretz+)
This Day in Jewish History / A Zionist trust is formed to settle Palestine
Created in 1899, the Jewish Colonial Trust would weather Turkish suspicions in World War I and become the bank for the State of Israel. (David B. Green, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu will be remembered for speaking Israel's truth (Gideon
Levy, Haaretz+) For at least 25 years most Israeli statesmen have been lying, misleading the
world, the Israelis and themselves, until Netanyahu arose. Better late than never.
Netanyahu's beauty pageant victory (Baruch Leshem, Yedioth/Ynet) The left persuaded voters they needed a change, but not that Herzog and Livni could deliver it; and no one can work a camera like Bibi.
Netanyahu was the only one to realize: The worse it gets, the better (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Ever the seasoned campaigner, Netanyahu correctly grasped that the more desperate his electoral situation looked, the easier it would be for him to open the tribal floodgates – and be rewarded with a fourth term.
The tsunami: Netanyahu woke up all the demons and translated them into ballots (Ben Caspit, Maariv) He was determined, focused, ruthless, he used all means to achieve the only goal: survival. This is how the prime minister woke up all the Israelis’ demons and fears.
For Netanyahu, diplomacy is more dangerous than war (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Even if a military conflict erupts, Netanyahu is unlikely to be the one who initiates it. His bigger problem could be a new diplomatic initiative by the Palestinian Authority and growing isolation.
Inner elitist must be crushed (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Hostility to ideological rivals reeks of old European racism and blind hatred, but Election Day results show right-wing, more than left, has matured politically.
Zionist Union's occupation ostrich policy was a major factor in its defeat (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Evading the most crucial problem facing Israel cannot be an option for the party that pretends to offer an alternative to Netanyahu.
The prime minister's key to the White House: A bold peace initiative (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Benjamin Netanyahu will have to rebuild the relationship with President Obama from the bottom. His withdrawal of support from a Palestinian state will only weaken him even more.
Can Netanyahu be trusted? (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Here is what the Israeli premier and his officials said - you decide.
When Netanyahu turned into Begin (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu was not the only one under attack during this election campaign; so were the 'handful of amulet kissers.' And Netanyahu is their leader, even if he has never even touched an amulet and even if he employs an electrician on Yom Kippur.
The real winner in Israel's election: BDS (Avinoam Baral, Haaretz+) Netanyahu's reelection takes away pro-Israel students' most powerful tool: the existence of a government committed to peace.
Rethinking the peace process (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Netanyahu should leverage his win to reframe how and what Israel is prepared to negotiate with the Palestinians.
Palestinaphobia of Israeli Jews infects both left and right (Dmitry Shumsky, Haaretz+) Amos Oz, who is so far distant in its ideological world view from Israel's nationalist right-wing, shares the same primeval fear of Arabs.
The victory belongs to the Left (Gonen Ginat, Israel Hayom) The Right owes its victory to the enlightened condescension of the bespectacled camp.
An open letter to Moshe Kahlon (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Your political interests, Kahlon, are in line with our national interests; you have the opportunity to realize them, and you owe your voters hope, vision and reforms only possible in a centrist government.
Black flag over Netanyahu's reelection (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) The prime minister's campaign bore hallmarks of Meir Kahane's racist legacy.
Israeli voters suffer from battered woman syndrome (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz+) Netanyahu will be the same prime minister, only worse, more belligerent and opposed to any kind of concessions for peace. This man has not changed.
Israel chooses the path to apartheid (James Besser, Haaretz+) It was once possible to argue that Israel's policies were not the same as apartheid because their stated goal, however imperfectly pursued, was to end the occupation. After Netanyahu's reelection, this is no longer the case.
Obama buries the hatchet -- in Netanyahu's head (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Those who favor close and cooperative relations between Israel and the United States are in for a rocky 22 months.
J Street convenes as liberal Jews reel from Netanyahu controversies (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The leftist lobby’s annual conference stands to gain – but may also lose – from the prime minister’s statements on Palestinian statehood and Israeli Arabs.
It’s right-wing journalists who failed Israel during the election campaign (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Which model is better: a reporter who wants the right to win but conceals his views, or a reporter who acknowledges his preference and then reports on the facts?
The left must abandon its comfort zone in order to survive (Aeyal Gross, Haaretz+) Zionist Union and Meretz have failed to truly connect with Israel’s social protest movement and lacked the wisdom to learn from previous mistakes.
On the unavoidable path to Israel's nightmarish future (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The meaning of the election results is that before it gets better in Israel it's got to get worse. Much much worse.
Jewish-Arab coexistence against the odds (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs prefer Israeli -- over Palestinian -- citizenship, and 64% are optimistic about Jewish-Arab relations.
Accept the election results, but don't respect them (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) Let a right-wing/ultra-Orthodox government arise. It will have no fig leaf and no alibi for its incompetence.
Netanyahu's campaign finale dealt a body blow to Israeli democracy (Gershom Gorenberg, Haaretz+) The Israeli prime minister sees the Green Line as the border between where Arabs can't vote and where they shouldn't.
On the prime minister's docket (Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom) After forming a new coalition, Netanyahu will confront a triple front: Palestinians, Iranians, and U.S. relations. Dealing with a bad nuclear deal is the top priority, but the socio-economic issue also requires attention in the delayed national budget.
Israelis will let vile Netanyahu reign, so long as he gives them bread and circuses (Roy Isacowitz, Haaretz+) The vote says it all: Israelis don't care if the prime minister hounds Iran, insults Barack Obama and ensures total stasis on everything to do with the Palestinians – so long as he gives them the good life.
Netanyahu's beauty pageant victory (Baruch Leshem, Yedioth/Ynet) The left persuaded voters they needed a change, but not that Herzog and Livni could deliver it; and no one can work a camera like Bibi.
Netanyahu was the only one to realize: The worse it gets, the better (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Ever the seasoned campaigner, Netanyahu correctly grasped that the more desperate his electoral situation looked, the easier it would be for him to open the tribal floodgates – and be rewarded with a fourth term.
The tsunami: Netanyahu woke up all the demons and translated them into ballots (Ben Caspit, Maariv) He was determined, focused, ruthless, he used all means to achieve the only goal: survival. This is how the prime minister woke up all the Israelis’ demons and fears.
For Netanyahu, diplomacy is more dangerous than war (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Even if a military conflict erupts, Netanyahu is unlikely to be the one who initiates it. His bigger problem could be a new diplomatic initiative by the Palestinian Authority and growing isolation.
Inner elitist must be crushed (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Hostility to ideological rivals reeks of old European racism and blind hatred, but Election Day results show right-wing, more than left, has matured politically.
Zionist Union's occupation ostrich policy was a major factor in its defeat (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Evading the most crucial problem facing Israel cannot be an option for the party that pretends to offer an alternative to Netanyahu.
The prime minister's key to the White House: A bold peace initiative (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) Benjamin Netanyahu will have to rebuild the relationship with President Obama from the bottom. His withdrawal of support from a Palestinian state will only weaken him even more.
Can Netanyahu be trusted? (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Here is what the Israeli premier and his officials said - you decide.
When Netanyahu turned into Begin (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu was not the only one under attack during this election campaign; so were the 'handful of amulet kissers.' And Netanyahu is their leader, even if he has never even touched an amulet and even if he employs an electrician on Yom Kippur.
The real winner in Israel's election: BDS (Avinoam Baral, Haaretz+) Netanyahu's reelection takes away pro-Israel students' most powerful tool: the existence of a government committed to peace.
Rethinking the peace process (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Netanyahu should leverage his win to reframe how and what Israel is prepared to negotiate with the Palestinians.
Palestinaphobia of Israeli Jews infects both left and right (Dmitry Shumsky, Haaretz+) Amos Oz, who is so far distant in its ideological world view from Israel's nationalist right-wing, shares the same primeval fear of Arabs.
The victory belongs to the Left (Gonen Ginat, Israel Hayom) The Right owes its victory to the enlightened condescension of the bespectacled camp.
An open letter to Moshe Kahlon (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Your political interests, Kahlon, are in line with our national interests; you have the opportunity to realize them, and you owe your voters hope, vision and reforms only possible in a centrist government.
Black flag over Netanyahu's reelection (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) The prime minister's campaign bore hallmarks of Meir Kahane's racist legacy.
Israeli voters suffer from battered woman syndrome (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz+) Netanyahu will be the same prime minister, only worse, more belligerent and opposed to any kind of concessions for peace. This man has not changed.
Israel chooses the path to apartheid (James Besser, Haaretz+) It was once possible to argue that Israel's policies were not the same as apartheid because their stated goal, however imperfectly pursued, was to end the occupation. After Netanyahu's reelection, this is no longer the case.
Obama buries the hatchet -- in Netanyahu's head (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Those who favor close and cooperative relations between Israel and the United States are in for a rocky 22 months.
J Street convenes as liberal Jews reel from Netanyahu controversies (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The leftist lobby’s annual conference stands to gain – but may also lose – from the prime minister’s statements on Palestinian statehood and Israeli Arabs.
It’s right-wing journalists who failed Israel during the election campaign (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Which model is better: a reporter who wants the right to win but conceals his views, or a reporter who acknowledges his preference and then reports on the facts?
The left must abandon its comfort zone in order to survive (Aeyal Gross, Haaretz+) Zionist Union and Meretz have failed to truly connect with Israel’s social protest movement and lacked the wisdom to learn from previous mistakes.
On the unavoidable path to Israel's nightmarish future (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) The meaning of the election results is that before it gets better in Israel it's got to get worse. Much much worse.
Jewish-Arab coexistence against the odds (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs prefer Israeli -- over Palestinian -- citizenship, and 64% are optimistic about Jewish-Arab relations.
Accept the election results, but don't respect them (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) Let a right-wing/ultra-Orthodox government arise. It will have no fig leaf and no alibi for its incompetence.
Netanyahu's campaign finale dealt a body blow to Israeli democracy (Gershom Gorenberg, Haaretz+) The Israeli prime minister sees the Green Line as the border between where Arabs can't vote and where they shouldn't.
On the prime minister's docket (Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom) After forming a new coalition, Netanyahu will confront a triple front: Palestinians, Iranians, and U.S. relations. Dealing with a bad nuclear deal is the top priority, but the socio-economic issue also requires attention in the delayed national budget.
Israelis will let vile Netanyahu reign, so long as he gives them bread and circuses (Roy Isacowitz, Haaretz+) The vote says it all: Israelis don't care if the prime minister hounds Iran, insults Barack Obama and ensures total stasis on everything to do with the Palestinians – so long as he gives them the good life.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.