APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday November 5, 2015
Quote of the day:
"It will be interesting to see what color she chooses for the leftist patch. And when the Halacha laws
take effect, one will also be allowed to stone leftists or find another punishment recommended in the Bible
against traitors."
--Tami Arad writes in Yedioth about Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked’s bill to force representatives of Israeli organizations that receive funding from foreign states to wear special tags in the Knesset.
--Tami Arad writes in Yedioth about Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked’s bill to force representatives of Israeli organizations that receive funding from foreign states to wear special tags in the Knesset.
You Must Be Kidding:
“It mainly shows him to be such a marginal figure that there is no concern for his safety. I think he could be sent in a para-glider to the Syrian Golan [Heights] controlled by ISIS. They’ll return him the next day with a request for negotiating their own return to Iraq, if only we take him back. 'Just take him, upon our lives, Israelis, your president goes around the camp shaking everyone’s hands, trying to speak to us in Arabic he doesn’t know, telling us to unite because it’s a shame we are divided thus into tribes.'”
--Recent Facebook post about President Reuven Rivlin, written by newly appointed head of National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Ran Baratz, sparks a storm.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Eisenkott and Kahlon secretly discuss reform in military pension
- Increasing belief that ISIS crashed the Russian plane in Sinai
- Hundreds barricaded themselves in synagogue built on (private) Palestinian land: High Court postponed the demolition
- Border Police critically injured in car ramming attack near Hebron
- Despite not being passed in Knesset, the bill for joint custody has already affected divorce cases
- Vaccinations of wild animals to stop; fear of break out of rabies
- Harm to wages of foreign workers in Israel angers Thailand
- New head of hasbara (state advocacy): “Rivlin is a marginal figure”
- The (culture) minister’s song // Haaretz Editorial
- The war over exporting Israeli music
- Threat to Golan Telecommunications
- District court forced Haifa Municipality to give back Al-Midan (Arab) Theater its (financial) support
Yedioth Ahronoth
- US believes: ISIS responsible (for Russian plane crash over Sinai)
- The terrorist ran over the Border Policeman – and was eliminated
- “Rivlin is so marginal that there is no fear for his life” – Netanyahu’s (new) head of hasbara, Dr. Ron Baratz
- Minister Yaalon: Miri Regev better not intervene in Army Radio
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- US believes: ISIS exploded the Russian plane
- The great (air) pollution
- Anger around President over appointment of head of National Hasbara (state advocacy)
- Good news for women: Free exam for cervical cancer from age 25
Israel Hayom
- “ISIS bomb crashed the plane”
- Car ramming attack: Border Policeman critically wounded
- The appointment (of new head of National Hasbara) and the storm
- Can’t see in front of you (because of dust)
- “Grafitti on High Court – dangerous bullying”
- Will they label? They will be labeled: Bill proposal – Israel labels products from states who label settlement products
- Is there an agreement? In Teheran they celebrated with shouts, “Death to America”
News Summary:
Evidence suggested that ISIS planted a bomb on the Russian plane that crashed in Sinai,a Border Policeman was critically wounded when hit by a car driven by Palestinian who was shot dead and President Reuven Rivlin demanded answers from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over the latter’s appointment as Hasbara chief a man who derided the President making top news in Hebrew newspapers today. Also in the news, the High Court postponed out of fear the demolition deadline for a synagogue built on Palestinian land in E. Jerusalem, death threats and security guards were made against and given to high-profile Israelis and Palestine accused Israel of harvesting organs from dead Palestinian attackers. Also, Haaretz mentioned that a violent outpost has repeatedly been evacuated and rebuilt, but a judge refused police request to keep its leader in custody.
Despite threats to stop returning the bodies of Palestinian attackers, the IDF released the body of Ibrahim Saqafi, 22, who was shot dead after he drove into a Border Policeman Wednesday, critically wounding the latter. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said at the Knesset that “holding the bodies does not deter potential terrorists, in contrast to house demolitions or revoking residency, for which we have proof that they are deterrent measures.” That said, Yaalon has insisted on quiet nighttime burials, but Saqafi will be buried this afternoon, Ynet’s Elior Levy reported.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the UN Riyad Mansour submitted a formal complaint against Israel on Wednesday, alleging that it had returned terrorists' bodies with corneas and organs missing, the Hebrew media reported. (Maariv) Israeli envoy Danny Danon called the accusation a “blood libel.” Last week, Maariv’s Yasir Ukbi reported that Palestinians said upon receiving the body of Muhammad Shamasnah, 23, from Qutna village, that Israel stole his corneas. [Note, Israel has been accused of this in the past and also claimed blood libel. But in late 2009, after an incriminating interview from 2000 surfaced, Israel admitted its pathologists harvested corneas and organs from dead Palestinians and Israeli soldiers, without the consent of their families – a practice it said ended in the ‘90’s. – OH]
Police data obtained by Ynet has indicated an unprecedented amount of suspects detained and indictments served against Palestinians on charges of participation in riots across the country since Rosh Hashanah: 1553 arrests and 437 indictments were served for throwing stones, petrol bombs, and shooting fireworks.
Netanyahu’s chosen head of Israel’s Public Diplomacy agency immediately made waves as the media scooped up the posts he has made on social media in recent years. Dr. Ran Baratz ridiculed President Rivlin and called him “marginal,” he called US President Barack Obama’s conduct “modern anti-Semitism” and wrote that US Secretary of State could get a job doing stand-up comedy (Maariv). Rivlin has demanded answers from Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, the violent atmosphere has affected three high-profile Israelis. However, it is unclear from whom the greater threats come: Jews or Arabs. Despite Baratz’s claims that Rivlin needs no security, even Rivlin’s wife will now have a security attaché with her as she continues her routine in Jerusalem. (Maariv)
He is an ardent supporter of changing the status quo at the Temple Mount and proposed transferring Israeli cats abroad so as to avoid spaying them, and now Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel has filed a complaint to police in the wake of death threats. One text message read: "Die a martyr's death in response to your abuse of the Palestinian people." (Maariv) Another one sent a picture of the Ariel in SS uniform and the words: “Population transfer to cats? Really? Isn’t it more important to transfer Muslims?” (Israel Hayom)
Only yesterday, a Jewish Israeli man from Rosh Ha’ayin was arrested for death threats against Arab MK Ahmad Tibi. On the same day, Tibi filed another complaint with police for three more death threats posted on his Facebook page. “Who has the courage to take up the challenge to eliminate Ahmed Tibi? Priority (for using) gas, but also other methods will be fine, as long as he knocked off,” read one. (Maariv)
The High Court is under pressure by right-wingers, too, out of fear of attacks - on Arabs. Yesterday it postponed the demolition of an illegally built synagogue, built on privately owned Palestinian land in Givat Zeev, a Jewish neighborhood over the Green Line in Jerusalem. Some 300 settlers protested at the site against the demolition, some threatening suicide and violent resistance, some attacking a Channel 2 reporter, and some vandals spray-painted 'you don't destroy synagogues' on the wall of the High Court. The Jerusalem district police chief had asked for the extension out of fear that demolishing the building now would lead to attacks against Arabs and mosques. But the attorney from Yesh Din, the Israeli legal rights organization representing the Palestinian owner, said this is a dangerous request. “This fear (of right-wing violence) is dictating how the law is enforced - the police are in fact showing that these threats are effective." The new deadline is November 17th and the court told the police not to wait till the last minute.
Haaretz’s settler affairs reporter, Chaim Levinson focused on the (rather chutzpah - OH) claim of settlers at Baladim outpost that the state killed two sheep during the evacuation - or rather eviction off the land - of the outpost. But what was more interesting, and which the Hebrew media did not report until this article, was that the police have evacuated the outpost, considered an enclave of the key instigators of violence in the West Bank, numerous times since the firebombing of the Dawabsheh family home in Duma last July. Moreover, Levinson’s article reveals that despite the outpost being rebuilt illegally numerous times, Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Judge David Shaul Gabai Richter ordered the release of outpost leader Neria Ben-Pazi and criticized the police’s handling of the case, saying he couldn't tell from the maps where the outpost was located. But Baladim outpost is not foreign to Judge Richter. Last month he ordered the release of a Jewish youth detained at Baladim, who was in possession of a backpack containing “the means to carry out a “price tag” [attack],” (gloves, ski mask, spray-paint and a manual gas pump), ruling that the evidence presented by the police was not grounds to suspect the youth, according to the right-wing legal organization, Honenu.
Evidence suggested that ISIS planted a bomb on the Russian plane that crashed in Sinai,a Border Policeman was critically wounded when hit by a car driven by Palestinian who was shot dead and President Reuven Rivlin demanded answers from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over the latter’s appointment as Hasbara chief a man who derided the President making top news in Hebrew newspapers today. Also in the news, the High Court postponed out of fear the demolition deadline for a synagogue built on Palestinian land in E. Jerusalem, death threats and security guards were made against and given to high-profile Israelis and Palestine accused Israel of harvesting organs from dead Palestinian attackers. Also, Haaretz mentioned that a violent outpost has repeatedly been evacuated and rebuilt, but a judge refused police request to keep its leader in custody.
Despite threats to stop returning the bodies of Palestinian attackers, the IDF released the body of Ibrahim Saqafi, 22, who was shot dead after he drove into a Border Policeman Wednesday, critically wounding the latter. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said at the Knesset that “holding the bodies does not deter potential terrorists, in contrast to house demolitions or revoking residency, for which we have proof that they are deterrent measures.” That said, Yaalon has insisted on quiet nighttime burials, but Saqafi will be buried this afternoon, Ynet’s Elior Levy reported.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the UN Riyad Mansour submitted a formal complaint against Israel on Wednesday, alleging that it had returned terrorists' bodies with corneas and organs missing, the Hebrew media reported. (Maariv) Israeli envoy Danny Danon called the accusation a “blood libel.” Last week, Maariv’s Yasir Ukbi reported that Palestinians said upon receiving the body of Muhammad Shamasnah, 23, from Qutna village, that Israel stole his corneas. [Note, Israel has been accused of this in the past and also claimed blood libel. But in late 2009, after an incriminating interview from 2000 surfaced, Israel admitted its pathologists harvested corneas and organs from dead Palestinians and Israeli soldiers, without the consent of their families – a practice it said ended in the ‘90’s. – OH]
Police data obtained by Ynet has indicated an unprecedented amount of suspects detained and indictments served against Palestinians on charges of participation in riots across the country since Rosh Hashanah: 1553 arrests and 437 indictments were served for throwing stones, petrol bombs, and shooting fireworks.
Netanyahu’s chosen head of Israel’s Public Diplomacy agency immediately made waves as the media scooped up the posts he has made on social media in recent years. Dr. Ran Baratz ridiculed President Rivlin and called him “marginal,” he called US President Barack Obama’s conduct “modern anti-Semitism” and wrote that US Secretary of State could get a job doing stand-up comedy (Maariv). Rivlin has demanded answers from Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, the violent atmosphere has affected three high-profile Israelis. However, it is unclear from whom the greater threats come: Jews or Arabs. Despite Baratz’s claims that Rivlin needs no security, even Rivlin’s wife will now have a security attaché with her as she continues her routine in Jerusalem. (Maariv)
He is an ardent supporter of changing the status quo at the Temple Mount and proposed transferring Israeli cats abroad so as to avoid spaying them, and now Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel has filed a complaint to police in the wake of death threats. One text message read: "Die a martyr's death in response to your abuse of the Palestinian people." (Maariv) Another one sent a picture of the Ariel in SS uniform and the words: “Population transfer to cats? Really? Isn’t it more important to transfer Muslims?” (Israel Hayom)
Only yesterday, a Jewish Israeli man from Rosh Ha’ayin was arrested for death threats against Arab MK Ahmad Tibi. On the same day, Tibi filed another complaint with police for three more death threats posted on his Facebook page. “Who has the courage to take up the challenge to eliminate Ahmed Tibi? Priority (for using) gas, but also other methods will be fine, as long as he knocked off,” read one. (Maariv)
The High Court is under pressure by right-wingers, too, out of fear of attacks - on Arabs. Yesterday it postponed the demolition of an illegally built synagogue, built on privately owned Palestinian land in Givat Zeev, a Jewish neighborhood over the Green Line in Jerusalem. Some 300 settlers protested at the site against the demolition, some threatening suicide and violent resistance, some attacking a Channel 2 reporter, and some vandals spray-painted 'you don't destroy synagogues' on the wall of the High Court. The Jerusalem district police chief had asked for the extension out of fear that demolishing the building now would lead to attacks against Arabs and mosques. But the attorney from Yesh Din, the Israeli legal rights organization representing the Palestinian owner, said this is a dangerous request. “This fear (of right-wing violence) is dictating how the law is enforced - the police are in fact showing that these threats are effective." The new deadline is November 17th and the court told the police not to wait till the last minute.
Haaretz’s settler affairs reporter, Chaim Levinson focused on the (rather chutzpah - OH) claim of settlers at Baladim outpost that the state killed two sheep during the evacuation - or rather eviction off the land - of the outpost. But what was more interesting, and which the Hebrew media did not report until this article, was that the police have evacuated the outpost, considered an enclave of the key instigators of violence in the West Bank, numerous times since the firebombing of the Dawabsheh family home in Duma last July. Moreover, Levinson’s article reveals that despite the outpost being rebuilt illegally numerous times, Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Judge David Shaul Gabai Richter ordered the release of outpost leader Neria Ben-Pazi and criticized the police’s handling of the case, saying he couldn't tell from the maps where the outpost was located. But Baladim outpost is not foreign to Judge Richter. Last month he ordered the release of a Jewish youth detained at Baladim, who was in possession of a backpack containing “the means to carry out a “price tag” [attack],” (gloves, ski mask, spray-paint and a manual gas pump), ruling that the evidence presented by the police was not grounds to suspect the youth, according to the right-wing legal organization, Honenu.
Quick Hits:
- Palestinians, civil rights lawyers accuse Jerusalem police of wanton shootings - Palestinians from East Jerusalem say they were shot in the face by sponge-tipped bullets while they were at home and posed no threat. (Haaretz+)
- Al-Aqsa Sheikh arrested for incitement - The sheikh was arrested after videos of sermons he delivered at al-Aqsa, including calls to kill Jews, emerged on Palestinian social media. Honenu, a right-wing legal aid organization, was among those who submitted complaints. (Ynet)
- Abbas: Israel must enforce status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound - Abbas implied that the Israeli government was attempting to establish a new "status quo" around more recent restrictions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound instead of working to enforce the previous one. (Maan)
- Suspect in Netanya terrorist beating to remain in police custody - After a 70-year-old man was stabbed by a Palestinian on Monday, Robert Fedida and others tried to kill him, even after the police had arrived. (Haaretz+)
- Israel releases hunger striker Muhammad Allan after year in detention - Palestinian prisoner Muhammad Allan, a 31-year-old lawyer from the southern Nablus village of Einabus, was held without charge or trial for seven months before he began a 66-day hunger strike in June to protest what he described as "the absence of law in Israeli court." (Maan)
- Israeli forces turn family home into military barrack near Bethlehem - Muhammad Froukh, a resident of the home in al-Maniya village, told Ma'an that Israeli forces raided the house and expelled the family. (Maan)
- Police remove four East Jerusalem barriers - Easing of tensions spurs removals, but about 20 of the new barriers, checkpoints remain. (Haaretz+)
- Silwan clashes erupt between Palestinian students and Israeli soldiers - The clashes erupted after Palestinian schoolchildren and workers in E. Jerusalem were denied entry through a checkpoint, which impedes entry of thousands of schoolchildren and their teachers to school in the morning. Two school boys were injured. (Maan)
- Israeli forces reopen pedestrian route only at al-Jalama crossing - Israel's Civil Administration said the lane would be open “in order to maintain the fabric of life and allow the crossing of workers to Israel.” [Thousands of cars and trucks pass through this crossing daily. - OH] (Maan)
- Israeli army injures Palestinians after settlers attack Nablus village - At least 14 Palestinians were shot and injured with rubber-coated steel bullets in clashes that erupted in Qasra village in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus after settlers descended on the area in an attempt to attack residents. (Maan)
- MK proposes counter-boycott of countries that label Israeli goods - "The Israeli consumer will be afforded the opportunity to decide whether to purchase products from countries that have joined the boycott of Israeli products," says Likud MK Miki Zohar. MK Michael Oren calls on Israeli merchants to label EU products. (Israel Hayom and Maariv)
- Opposition, government unite against EU settlement product labeling plans - The Foreign Ministry has launched a campaign opposing marking the products, saying that it is reminiscent of past crimes such as marking Jews with yellow patches. [However, that hasn’t stopped Justice Minister Shaked from compelling left-wing organizations from wearing tags in the Knesset to show they receive foreign state funding. – OH] (Ynet)
- Sources: Talks on reducing defense budget making headway - Finance minister and IDF chief mull reduction of compulsory service for men, but issue of pensions still looms. (Haaretz+)
- Evacuated Baladim settlers blame state for sheep deaths - Outpost was evacuated earlier this week, two sheep died during transportation due to overcrowding. (Haaretz+)
- Darfur Asylum Seeker Suing Israel Over Year-long Mistaken Detention - Authorities admitted that man sent to desert facility had been eligible for temporary residence. (Haaretz+)
- World-class runners summoned to asylum seekers detention center - Two asylum seekers, both 20, recently finished in top 10 in Israeli 10-kilometer road-racing championships. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Arab lawmaker: Bedouin slain after Be'er Sheva terror attack was innocent - Knesset member Abu Arar calls on Defense Minister Ya’alon to release body of Muhannad al-Okbi, who allegedly killed soldier and wounded 11 bystanders, for burial. (Haaretz+)
- Gaza resident accused of transferring construction materials to Hamas - Palestinian merchant was arrested in August. Shin Bet says he has admitted to ‘cynical exploitation’ of charitable donations. (Haaretz+)
- Israel reportedly seeking to acquire stealth version of F-15 - Foreign media reports: As part of "compensation package" of military aid U.S. is set to offer Israel in wake of Iran nuclear deal, Israel wants to receive F-15SE Silent Eagle. Israeli officials decline to confirm reports. (Israel Hayom)
- IDF mulls mandatory drug test for soldiers in sensitive positions - Currently soldiers can be handed a criminal record for refusing to give urine sample. (Haaretz+)
- Number of religious women enlisting in IDF on the rise - Number of religious female enlistees doubled from 935 in 2010 to 1,830 in 2015 • IDF conference for observant women interested in enlisting draws largest crowd ever • Religious women serving in Intelligence Corps, Education Corps, Air Force, combat roles. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli Opposition Knocks Down Contentious Joint Custody Bill in a Rare Political Win - According the contentious bill, children of divorced parents will not be automatically given to the mother. (Haaretz+)
- Netanyahu ranked as one of world's 25 most powerful people by Forbes - Vladimir Putin tops Forbes magazine's list of power brokers, followed by Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and Pope Francis. North Korea's Kim Jung-un is also there. (Haaretz)
- Electricity Agency Loses Independence - Electricity Authority to be dismantled and merged with National Infrastructure and Energy Ministry, current chair to be sacked. (Haaretz+)
- El Al shuts movie mid-flight so as 'not to annoy' ultra-Orthodox passengers - Irate secular passengers told that it is El Al policy not to screen films when there is an ultra-Orthodox majority on board a flight. (Haaretz)
- U.S. Threatens Action Against Kuwait Airlines for Refusing to Fly Israelis - Airline says Kuwaiti law prevents it from entering 'into an agreement, personally or indirectly, with entities or persons residing in Israel, or with Israeli citizenship.' (Haaretz)
- Saudi Arabia soccer team refuses to play in Ramallah - Country's soccer association justifies its non-arrival to Ramallah for a World Cup qualifier against Palestinians by citing security concerns, but actual reason is its refusal to go via Israeli crossing. FIFA may expel team from tournament. (Ynet)
- Malaysia to play World Cup qualifier match against Palestine in Hebron - The Malaysian team had requested to move the match after a turbulent month in the area but the Palestinian ambassador to the country has ensured the team's safety. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Egyptian flooding drowns Gaza's tunnel business - A campaign being conducted by the Egyptian army seeks to flood every tunnel crossing into the country from Gaza, much to the ire of Palestinians. (Ynet)
- PLO to urge Abbas to redefine ties with Israel - According to a senior PLO member, the new, mysterious, political program adopted by the Palestinian body deals with the entire spectrum of ties with Israel. (Haaretz+)
- 18 Parliament members call for Abbas to hold legislative session - They said that changes to the PLO were being carried out unilaterally by Fatah, arguing that Abbas was maneuvering to empower his allies and marginalize opponents ahead of the 80-year-old's eventual retirement. (Maan)
- Kerry calls for commitment to Rabin’s peace vision on 20th yahrzeit - Kerry said that recent violence in the region underscores the urgency of advancing the two-state solution. (Haaretz)
- US Defense Secretary: Israel saved US soldiers' lives - Ashton Carter says Israeli innovations in the military domain saved many American lives; assures Israel will maintain its qualitative military edge over its neighbors. (Agencies, Ynet)
Letters:
Some missing context
Dr. Munjed Farid Al Qutob from Amman responds to ‘Jihad by any other name.' (Haaretz)
Attention all shnorrers
Prof. Alan Rosenthal responds to Ayelet Shaked’s idea to tag groups in Knesset who receive foreign funding. (Haaretz)
A knife-wielding teen is no terrorist
Ofir Paz de Portugese writes about the use of the word ‘terrorist.’ (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Dr. Munjed Farid Al Qutob from Amman responds to ‘Jihad by any other name.' (Haaretz)
Attention all shnorrers
Prof. Alan Rosenthal responds to Ayelet Shaked’s idea to tag groups in Knesset who receive foreign funding. (Haaretz)
A knife-wielding teen is no terrorist
Ofir Paz de Portugese writes about the use of the word ‘terrorist.’ (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Dear World, Don't Take the Bait: The Israeli Right Wing Is Trolling You (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) Deporting cats? Mufti madness? Marking left-wingers? Has the right-wing in
Israel finally gone insane? Not exactly.
Palestinians aren't trying to go to heaven — they are fleeing hell (Rami Younis, +972mag) Despite what Israeli leaders may have you believe, Islamic fundamentalism is not the driving force behind the latest violence.
The Dehumanization Process Is Reaching Its Peak (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The bleeding Palestinian body on the street is not the body of a person; it is, in the eyes of many Israelis, a carcass.
A lesson in anti-democracy (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet) Justice minister Ayelet Shaked aims to label 'Israel haters' by making representatives of leftist NGOs wear badges during Knesset discussions. So what color will she choose for the leftist patch?
November 4, 1995: The Day the Sabra Died (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Yitzhak Rabin was not a great orator, but his gruffness and candor were the marks of the quintessentially Israeli ‘sabra’ who was gunned down for trying to make his country face reality.
Returning terrorists' bodies only intensifies terror (Ronni Shaked, Yedioth/Ynet) The political echelon's decision to return bodies would be logical in the event of a diplomatic agreement, as a goodwill gesture, but in the midst of a terror offensive it is perceived by the Palestinians as a sign of weakness.
Israel’s decades-long policy of holding Palestinian bodies (Emily Mulder, Maan) Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian dead, and its impact on the living, is being questioned once again as the government continues to withhold the bodies of 22 Palestinians. Spokesperson for the Palestinian National Committee for Retrieving Bodies of Martyrs says that despite possible political motives for the policy, the only outcome she has seen is suffering families.
Uri Ariel Is No Animal Lover, He's Not Even a Humanist (B. Michael, Haaretz+) Must we demand that all the female cats dress modestly and cover their heads? And what about the spectacular abuse of Palestinians, what does the halakha dictate for them?
My friend is in jail for something he wrote on Facebook (Ariel Schendar, +972mag) My friend Anes Khatibi is 19 years old. We met at ‘peace school.’ If he were Jewish he would not have been arrested for a Facebook status. Alas, he is Palestinian.
A happy day for history and truth (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) The excavation of the legendary Acra fortress, conquered by the Hasmoneans, stymies Muslim revisionist attempts to erase Jewish ties to Jerusalem.
Israelis' Illusion of Total Entitlement (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) After this past month, the public is invited to judge which is truly detached from reality: the muscular right or the so-called “delusional” left.
Abbas inciting with one hand, restraining with the other (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The Palestinian elements fanning the flames of terror and pushing stabbers on the streets are the same ones working intensively to prevent an escalation. This absurd situation has prevented the wave of terror from turning into a real intifada, but what will happen if Fatah's militant faction joins in?
The Israeli Right’s Assault On the Jewish Future (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) Unconsciously and unintentionally, the right has become a serious threat to the future of Diaspora Jewry.
No defense for the Palestinians (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) There is "frustration" in Jewish society, too, but it doesn't make knife-wielding young people commit suicide by cop.
What a Liberal Think Tank Should Ask Bibi When He Visits Next Week (Peter Beinart, Haaretz) The Center for American Progress should use its controversial decision to host the Israeli prime minister to confront his core beliefs.
Rabin’s Killer Wasn’t a Jewish Extremist (Bernard Avishai, Haaretz+) Yigal Amir is a true son of the cultish, flattened and nationalist Judaism which has colonized traditional Jewish thought in Israel. He may die in prison – but savoring ‘his’ Judaism’s triumph.
Israel's Culture Minister Should Leave Army Radio Alone (Haaretz Editorial) A minister is meant to outline a policy, not engage in assuring airtime for artists based on their ethnic origin, the language they sing in or their style.
Netanyahu’s Rotting Israel Won't Be Cured by Gas Riches (David Rosenberg, Haaretz) Bibi got his gas deal by sordid political dealings. Israel needs good government, but what it has is largely a cabinet of loudmouths, ideologues, rabbis and apparatchiks, who'd never have made it through vetting committees.
Palestinians aren't trying to go to heaven — they are fleeing hell (Rami Younis, +972mag) Despite what Israeli leaders may have you believe, Islamic fundamentalism is not the driving force behind the latest violence.
The Dehumanization Process Is Reaching Its Peak (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The bleeding Palestinian body on the street is not the body of a person; it is, in the eyes of many Israelis, a carcass.
A lesson in anti-democracy (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet) Justice minister Ayelet Shaked aims to label 'Israel haters' by making representatives of leftist NGOs wear badges during Knesset discussions. So what color will she choose for the leftist patch?
November 4, 1995: The Day the Sabra Died (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Yitzhak Rabin was not a great orator, but his gruffness and candor were the marks of the quintessentially Israeli ‘sabra’ who was gunned down for trying to make his country face reality.
Returning terrorists' bodies only intensifies terror (Ronni Shaked, Yedioth/Ynet) The political echelon's decision to return bodies would be logical in the event of a diplomatic agreement, as a goodwill gesture, but in the midst of a terror offensive it is perceived by the Palestinians as a sign of weakness.
Israel’s decades-long policy of holding Palestinian bodies (Emily Mulder, Maan) Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian dead, and its impact on the living, is being questioned once again as the government continues to withhold the bodies of 22 Palestinians. Spokesperson for the Palestinian National Committee for Retrieving Bodies of Martyrs says that despite possible political motives for the policy, the only outcome she has seen is suffering families.
Uri Ariel Is No Animal Lover, He's Not Even a Humanist (B. Michael, Haaretz+) Must we demand that all the female cats dress modestly and cover their heads? And what about the spectacular abuse of Palestinians, what does the halakha dictate for them?
My friend is in jail for something he wrote on Facebook (Ariel Schendar, +972mag) My friend Anes Khatibi is 19 years old. We met at ‘peace school.’ If he were Jewish he would not have been arrested for a Facebook status. Alas, he is Palestinian.
A happy day for history and truth (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) The excavation of the legendary Acra fortress, conquered by the Hasmoneans, stymies Muslim revisionist attempts to erase Jewish ties to Jerusalem.
Israelis' Illusion of Total Entitlement (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) After this past month, the public is invited to judge which is truly detached from reality: the muscular right or the so-called “delusional” left.
Abbas inciting with one hand, restraining with the other (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The Palestinian elements fanning the flames of terror and pushing stabbers on the streets are the same ones working intensively to prevent an escalation. This absurd situation has prevented the wave of terror from turning into a real intifada, but what will happen if Fatah's militant faction joins in?
The Israeli Right’s Assault On the Jewish Future (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) Unconsciously and unintentionally, the right has become a serious threat to the future of Diaspora Jewry.
No defense for the Palestinians (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) There is "frustration" in Jewish society, too, but it doesn't make knife-wielding young people commit suicide by cop.
What a Liberal Think Tank Should Ask Bibi When He Visits Next Week (Peter Beinart, Haaretz) The Center for American Progress should use its controversial decision to host the Israeli prime minister to confront his core beliefs.
Rabin’s Killer Wasn’t a Jewish Extremist (Bernard Avishai, Haaretz+) Yigal Amir is a true son of the cultish, flattened and nationalist Judaism which has colonized traditional Jewish thought in Israel. He may die in prison – but savoring ‘his’ Judaism’s triumph.
Israel's Culture Minister Should Leave Army Radio Alone (Haaretz Editorial) A minister is meant to outline a policy, not engage in assuring airtime for artists based on their ethnic origin, the language they sing in or their style.
Netanyahu’s Rotting Israel Won't Be Cured by Gas Riches (David Rosenberg, Haaretz) Bibi got his gas deal by sordid political dealings. Israel needs good government, but what it has is largely a cabinet of loudmouths, ideologues, rabbis and apparatchiks, who'd never have made it through vetting committees.
Interviews:
The Politics of the Holocaust
In his revolutionary new book 'Black Earth,' Timothy Snyder reassesses the causes and lessons of the Holocaust. In an interview with Haaretz he says it has a role to play in modern politics but is often abused. (Interviewed by Anshel Pfeffer in Haaretz+)
Meet Benjamin Peng: A Chinese Zionist businessman
A chance occurrence 6 years ago made businessman Benjamin Peng change his attitude toward Israel and tied his fate to it. He went on to found the investment firm Yafo Capital, which connects Chinese investors with start-up companies. He also founded a non-profit, Israel Plane, whose goal is to improve Israel's image in China. (Interviewed by Yael Weltzer in Ynet)
In his revolutionary new book 'Black Earth,' Timothy Snyder reassesses the causes and lessons of the Holocaust. In an interview with Haaretz he says it has a role to play in modern politics but is often abused. (Interviewed by Anshel Pfeffer in Haaretz+)
Meet Benjamin Peng: A Chinese Zionist businessman
A chance occurrence 6 years ago made businessman Benjamin Peng change his attitude toward Israel and tied his fate to it. He went on to found the investment firm Yafo Capital, which connects Chinese investors with start-up companies. He also founded a non-profit, Israel Plane, whose goal is to improve Israel's image in China. (Interviewed by Yael Weltzer in Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.