APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday January 3, 2016
Quote of the day:
"Jews don't like to be tagged as the 'price tag' hooligans. What you hate done to you, don't do to your
neighbors. Don't label all of the Arabs of Israel for the horrific murder."
--Right-wing Yedioth commentator Ben-Dror Yemini comes to the defense of the Arab Israeli community of Israel, unlike the country's Prime Minister, following the shooting attack by an Arab Israeli.**
--Right-wing Yedioth commentator Ben-Dror Yemini comes to the defense of the Arab Israeli community of Israel, unlike the country's Prime Minister, following the shooting attack by an Arab Israeli.**
Breaking News:
Three Israelis wounded in three attacks
Israeli soldier lightly wounded by sniper fire in south Hebron Hills, Israeli man lightly wounded in Jerusalem by stabbing attack that didn't break his skin and female soldier moderately wounded in stabbing attack near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron; troops searching for shooter who fired from afar. (Ynet)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Two killed in shooting attack at bar in Tel-Aviv; Search for shooter
- And Netanyahu remained a small-time politician fanning hatred // Yossi Verter
- The red lights that didn’t turn on // Amos Harel
- Again putting a whole population on a loyalty test // Jacky Khoury
- There is no one motive for terror, and it certainly isn’t just Daesh // Zvi Barel
- State Prosecutor to file indictment in Duma murder case
- Five rockets shot from Gaza to Israel
- Saudi Arabia executed senior Shiite cleric, and sparked fury and violent demonstrations
- In protest over strengthening of religious aspect in public education, parents initiating movement for independent secular education
- Three children died in fire that broke out in home in Rahat
- The battle against air pollution: Truck travel in Haifa to be limited
- Dishonest minister // Haaretz Editorial
- Nuclear? Iran is more interested in saffron (NYT)
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Wanted
- Examining the connection between the murder of the (Arab) taxi driver – and the shooting spree on Dizengoff St.
- Under one’s nose // Yossi Yehoshua
- Not crazy // Yoaz Hendel
- At the lowest place // Shimon Shiffer
- Wild weed // Ben-Dror Yemini
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The hunt – House by house, yard by yard: thousands of police flooded Tel-Aviv to catch the terrorist who murdered two young people on Dizengoff St.
- Under the nose (of the police) // Ben Caspit
- Tough questions // Alon Ben-David
- Similar to Daesh // Yossi Melman
- Slap in the face // Eyal Levy
- Don’t capitulate (to fear and incitement) // Samer Otmana
- (Tel-Aviv is an) Imaginary bubble (that can recover quickly from disasters) // Talia Levine
- Whistling bullets // Meir Bar-On (witness)
- The race to the attack // Ron Kaufman
- Tragedy in Rahat: Three infant siblings died in fire
- The killing on the roads: Parents and daughter killed in accident
Israel Hayom
- The hunt – massacre on Dizengoff St. in Tel-Aviv…
- The aim: To catch alive the terrorist who escaped // Yoav Limor
- Tel-Aviv: before everything, part of the Israeli reality // Boaz Bismuth
- Today: Prosecution to file indictments against two detainees in arson of house in Duma village
- Family tragedy: Parents and six-year-old killing in traffic accident
- Tragedy: Three small siblings killed in fire in Rahat
News Summary:
An Arab-Israeli opened fire on a Tel-Aviv bar killing two and raising questions and fears as the hunt for him continued and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu railed against Arab Israelis in a controversial speech making the top story in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, police filed indictments for two of the Jewish suspects in the Duma arson-murders today, allowing the release of the gag order over the identity of the detainees. Not mentioned in the Hebrew papers was the release of the corpses of numerous Palestinians who attacked or allegedly attacked Israelis during the recent wave of violence.
The manhunt continues for Mashat Melhem, the Israeli Arab suspected of opening fire on a Tel-Aviv pub on Friday and the Hebrew papers had a mouthful of criticism against the security services. How did Melhem slip away? Why didn’t the Shin Bet allow an updated photo of him to be released sooner? Why was Mashat Melhem’s father, Mohammed, a volunteer policeman, allowed to keep his weapon after Mashat was released from jail for trying to steal a weapon from a soldier?
After the father identified his son in the video of the attack and then discovered his gun was missing from its safe, he drove to the police station to report on his son. The father told Israeli media that he hopes his son is arrested quickly, before he harms more people, adding and stressed how he did not raise his son to kill and how sorry he was for the victims. "Anyone who knows us knows we are law-abiding citizens, loyal to the state and love it. We condemn and denounce these actions." The family described Mashat, 29, as a mentally ill man, who was undergoing therapy. [Unlike in most attacks, where the attacker is usually killed or caught on the spot and there is little examination about his motives, here the attacker has yet to be caught and the Hebrew press had the time and curiosity to find out about him. – OH] The press reported that after the killing of his cousin by a Border Policeman ten years ago during a search of his home, Melhem was never the same and he assaulted a soldier a year later, for which he sat in jail for five years. He asked the prison service to give him an anger management course, but was denied, despite his lawyer saying that he was mentally unstable. Indeed, the police don’t see this simply as a Palestinian terrorist attack. "This is an extreme, complex and unique event in which an armed individual embarked on an indiscriminate killing spree in the heart of a busy street," said police spokeswoman Luba Samri.
Meanwhile, Milham's brother has been detained on suspicion of aiding him. He was forbidden from meeting with attorney for three days. An hour after the attack, an Arab taxi driver in Tel-Aviv was also murdered. The police are probing whether there was a connection to the attack by Melhem.
**Netanyahu made a controversial speech at the site of the attack aimed at Arab Israelis that a number of commentators called “incitement against Israel’s Arab citizens.” Yedioth’s Shimon Shiffer blasts Netanyahu for choosing the location “to verbally attack the Arab minority, cynically using the occasion to send ugly messages in every direction.” He also lists “the facts - compared to Netanyahu's ugly generalizations.” Haaretz’s Yossi Verter wrote that “The prime minister proved that he has not lost his penchant for hatred and inciting against minorities, for seizing every tragedy to make political hay. It was low, even by his own standards.” Even right-wing Yedioth columnist Ben-Dror Yemini wrote a moving Op-Ed describing the extended Milham family, whom he has known for years and specifically Advocate Sami Milham, the cousin and lawyer of Mahshat, who is a personal friend of Yemini, in order to press point that the whole Arab-Israeli sector cannot be blamed for the act by one man. Yemini wrote that he and Sami discussed Sami entering politics so his clear and sane voice advocating for co-existence, against radicalism could be heard. Another family member, Jamal Milham, was active in the Labor party. The Milham family, he writes, represents the majority of the Arab of Israel, who condemn and disapprove of the murders.
In the debate over Israeli gun laws, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called to allow security guards to take their guns home after work hours. But many women and men oppose changing the law that prohibits guards from taking guns home because of the possibility that more guns in the public sphere results in more gun violence. Likud MK Amir Ohana said he will work to expand the number of gun carriers in Israel.
Meanwhile, the wounded recounted the attack and the two murdered Jewish men from the pub were buried this evening, as was the murdered Arab taxi driver, a father of 11 children. The UK has added Tel Aviv to its travel warning list. However, far right-wing Education Minister (Habayit Hayehudi) Naftali Bennett made a “bizarre initiative” to go for a run in Tel Aviv at night, in response to the attack, and he invited everyone to join him. (Maariv) Maariv also wrote about how the foreign papers reported differently on the attack. Le Monde compared it to the attacks in Paris, La Repubblica criticized Israel’s conduct. One headline said, "The terrorist wanted to avenge the death of his cousin."
In a separate attack, two Jewish extremists were indicted over the arson-murders of the Dawabshe family in the West Bank village of Duma. Amiram Ben-Ulilel, 21, was charged with murder, while an unnamed minor was charged with planning the attack, but didn't show up to commit the attack. Haaretz revealed interesting details about Ben-Uliel, who moved to Jerusalem with his extremist wife after the Duma attack and became ultra-Orthodox. Ben-Uliel’s parents released a video in which they said they believed he was innocent.
Palestinian corpses and burials
Israel returned 23 bodies of Palestinians suspected of carrying out or attempting to carry out attacks on Israelis to families across the occupied West Bank Friday. Seventeen of them were from Hebron and chief prosecutor of the Hebron area, Ashraf Mashaal, said that a team of prosecutors had been formed in order to determine the ultimate causes of death for the Palestinians killed, adding that the decision had been approved by relatives of the slain. Hebron's Governor said: "This is the day in which we feel some satisfaction that we are able to welcome the bodies of our children after such prolonged suffering, suffering by the families of the martyrs because of these unprecedented Israeli measures." (See also Maariv) On Last Thursday, Israel returned eight corpses (Maariv), including seven to families in the Ramallah area. On Wednesday, a number of Palestinian families signed a letter stating their refusal to comply with Israel's conditions of release that the bodies be buried at the dead of night, immediately after release of the remains.
An Arab-Israeli opened fire on a Tel-Aviv bar killing two and raising questions and fears as the hunt for him continued and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu railed against Arab Israelis in a controversial speech making the top story in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, police filed indictments for two of the Jewish suspects in the Duma arson-murders today, allowing the release of the gag order over the identity of the detainees. Not mentioned in the Hebrew papers was the release of the corpses of numerous Palestinians who attacked or allegedly attacked Israelis during the recent wave of violence.
The manhunt continues for Mashat Melhem, the Israeli Arab suspected of opening fire on a Tel-Aviv pub on Friday and the Hebrew papers had a mouthful of criticism against the security services. How did Melhem slip away? Why didn’t the Shin Bet allow an updated photo of him to be released sooner? Why was Mashat Melhem’s father, Mohammed, a volunteer policeman, allowed to keep his weapon after Mashat was released from jail for trying to steal a weapon from a soldier?
After the father identified his son in the video of the attack and then discovered his gun was missing from its safe, he drove to the police station to report on his son. The father told Israeli media that he hopes his son is arrested quickly, before he harms more people, adding and stressed how he did not raise his son to kill and how sorry he was for the victims. "Anyone who knows us knows we are law-abiding citizens, loyal to the state and love it. We condemn and denounce these actions." The family described Mashat, 29, as a mentally ill man, who was undergoing therapy. [Unlike in most attacks, where the attacker is usually killed or caught on the spot and there is little examination about his motives, here the attacker has yet to be caught and the Hebrew press had the time and curiosity to find out about him. – OH] The press reported that after the killing of his cousin by a Border Policeman ten years ago during a search of his home, Melhem was never the same and he assaulted a soldier a year later, for which he sat in jail for five years. He asked the prison service to give him an anger management course, but was denied, despite his lawyer saying that he was mentally unstable. Indeed, the police don’t see this simply as a Palestinian terrorist attack. "This is an extreme, complex and unique event in which an armed individual embarked on an indiscriminate killing spree in the heart of a busy street," said police spokeswoman Luba Samri.
Meanwhile, Milham's brother has been detained on suspicion of aiding him. He was forbidden from meeting with attorney for three days. An hour after the attack, an Arab taxi driver in Tel-Aviv was also murdered. The police are probing whether there was a connection to the attack by Melhem.
**Netanyahu made a controversial speech at the site of the attack aimed at Arab Israelis that a number of commentators called “incitement against Israel’s Arab citizens.” Yedioth’s Shimon Shiffer blasts Netanyahu for choosing the location “to verbally attack the Arab minority, cynically using the occasion to send ugly messages in every direction.” He also lists “the facts - compared to Netanyahu's ugly generalizations.” Haaretz’s Yossi Verter wrote that “The prime minister proved that he has not lost his penchant for hatred and inciting against minorities, for seizing every tragedy to make political hay. It was low, even by his own standards.” Even right-wing Yedioth columnist Ben-Dror Yemini wrote a moving Op-Ed describing the extended Milham family, whom he has known for years and specifically Advocate Sami Milham, the cousin and lawyer of Mahshat, who is a personal friend of Yemini, in order to press point that the whole Arab-Israeli sector cannot be blamed for the act by one man. Yemini wrote that he and Sami discussed Sami entering politics so his clear and sane voice advocating for co-existence, against radicalism could be heard. Another family member, Jamal Milham, was active in the Labor party. The Milham family, he writes, represents the majority of the Arab of Israel, who condemn and disapprove of the murders.
In the debate over Israeli gun laws, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called to allow security guards to take their guns home after work hours. But many women and men oppose changing the law that prohibits guards from taking guns home because of the possibility that more guns in the public sphere results in more gun violence. Likud MK Amir Ohana said he will work to expand the number of gun carriers in Israel.
Meanwhile, the wounded recounted the attack and the two murdered Jewish men from the pub were buried this evening, as was the murdered Arab taxi driver, a father of 11 children. The UK has added Tel Aviv to its travel warning list. However, far right-wing Education Minister (Habayit Hayehudi) Naftali Bennett made a “bizarre initiative” to go for a run in Tel Aviv at night, in response to the attack, and he invited everyone to join him. (Maariv) Maariv also wrote about how the foreign papers reported differently on the attack. Le Monde compared it to the attacks in Paris, La Repubblica criticized Israel’s conduct. One headline said, "The terrorist wanted to avenge the death of his cousin."
In a separate attack, two Jewish extremists were indicted over the arson-murders of the Dawabshe family in the West Bank village of Duma. Amiram Ben-Ulilel, 21, was charged with murder, while an unnamed minor was charged with planning the attack, but didn't show up to commit the attack. Haaretz revealed interesting details about Ben-Uliel, who moved to Jerusalem with his extremist wife after the Duma attack and became ultra-Orthodox. Ben-Uliel’s parents released a video in which they said they believed he was innocent.
Palestinian corpses and burials
Israel returned 23 bodies of Palestinians suspected of carrying out or attempting to carry out attacks on Israelis to families across the occupied West Bank Friday. Seventeen of them were from Hebron and chief prosecutor of the Hebron area, Ashraf Mashaal, said that a team of prosecutors had been formed in order to determine the ultimate causes of death for the Palestinians killed, adding that the decision had been approved by relatives of the slain. Hebron's Governor said: "This is the day in which we feel some satisfaction that we are able to welcome the bodies of our children after such prolonged suffering, suffering by the families of the martyrs because of these unprecedented Israeli measures." (See also Maariv) On Last Thursday, Israel returned eight corpses (Maariv), including seven to families in the Ramallah area. On Wednesday, a number of Palestinian families signed a letter stating their refusal to comply with Israel's conditions of release that the bodies be buried at the dead of night, immediately after release of the remains.
Quick Hits:
- Two Gaza-fired rockets hit Israel, IDF retaliates - An unusually high number of rockets was fired in one volley from the Gaza Strip on Friday evening, with only two falling in Israel. No injuries reported. IDF later retaliated with air strikes against Hamas targets. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian shot during clashes 3 weeks ago dies from complications - Shadi al-Ghabeesh, 38, was released from hospital in stable condition on Dec. 13, after being shot by Israeli forces during clashes in al-Jalazone refugee camp on Dec. 4. But on Friday, January 1st, he fell ill and died before medics arrived to his home. (Maan)
- Attorney general to probe exclusion of book about Jewish-Arab romance from school curriculum - Yehuda Weinstein prompted to act following complaint by Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which accused the Education Ministry of having 'irrelevant and anti-educational motives.' (Haaretz+)
- The Bible and 5 other books on love and assimilation taught in Israeli schools - Several books currently in the curriculum highlight Jewish-Gentile love, just like 'Borderlife,' the book recently banned from Jewish high schools for 'threatening Jewish identity.' (Haaretz+)
- Israel confiscates land, builds military watchtower in Hebron village - Mayor Kayid Jaradat said Israeli forces had started razing lands early Thursday without notifying the Palestinian municipality or the owner of the land, Ismail Abed Rabbu al-Shalaldeh, prior to the land confiscation. (Maan)
- Gush Etzion residents have electricity cut off in suspicious circumstances - Various settlements in Gush Etzion in the West Bank had their electricity cut off for six hours on New Year's Eve. An initial inspection revealed that a wire with stone was thrown at a power line in a Palestinian village, damaging it. (Ynet)
- Aid for needy soldiers to increase - The IDF's financial support to its soldiers is set to include payments for water and electricity bills for those who have been disconnected and price reductions on products in shops on army bases. (Ynet)
- 2015 sees 3% drop in tourist arrivals in Israel - Some 3.1 million tourists visited the Holy Land in the past year, 20% of them from America and 14% from Russia; one-day visits increased by 32%, mainly due to business people's fear of staying in Israel for longer period of time. (Calcalist/Ynet)
- Vatican's recognition of 'Palestine' comes into effect - Vatican signed first treaty with the "State of Palestine" last June when it called for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and backed the two-state solution. Israel has condemned the accord, charging it could damage future prospects for peace. (Israel Hayom)
- Defense minister apologizes to sacked missile defense chief - "I am sorry for the way in which the news of your dismissal was publicized. We will learn from our mistakes," Ya'alon tells former head of Homa Directorate, Yair Ramati. "If only it was possible to inform the citizens of what you have done for them." (Israel Hayom)
- Two Israeli Actors to Appear in 'Game of Thrones' Upcoming Sixth Season - Ania Bukstein and Yousef Sweid are household names in Israel for roles in shows and movies such as 'Rabies,' 'False Flag' and 'Homeland.' (Haaretz)
- Palestinian TV reporter shot during Friday demonstration - Anal al-Jadaa was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg when clashes erupted during the town's weekly Friday march. (Maan)
- Jordanian held in Israeli prison reinstates hunger strike - Abdullah Nuh Abu Jaber, reinstated his hunger strike on Thursday, after Israeli authorities reportedly reneged on promises to meet his demands, Jaber's lawyer said. (Maan)
- Official: Hamas yet to reply to initiative regarding Rafah crossing - The Hamas movement has yet to respond to an initiative pushed by Palestinian factions to broker a proposal for the reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, a PLO official said Saturday. (Maan)
- Israel returns confiscated buses to Palestinian transport company - Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs told Ma’an that the buses were returned to the al-Tamimi bus company in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. An Israeli army spokesperson said in November after that eight of the buses were seized from a transport company with an "illegal association known to have links to the Hamas terror organization." (Maan)
- Hizb al-Tahrir: 'Muslim armies' needed to end Israeli occupation - A senior Hizb al-Tahrir leader active in the group’s Palestine branch, Musab Abu Arqub, told Ma’an in an interview that the group viewed the wave of attacks that began in October as a “popular reaction to the Israeli occupation.” (Maan)
- Saudi Arabia Executes Prominent Shi'ite Cleric Alongside 46 Other Prisoners - Iran and other Shi'ite majority nations strongly condemn execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr; most of other prisoners had been convicted of jihadist attacks in the country. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Erdogan: Turkey needs Israel and Israel needs Turkey - As Jerusalem and Ankara continue talks to normalize relations, Turkish President Erdogan says his country needs to accept that it needs Israel - 'this is the reality in the region.' (Agencies, Ynet)
- Turkish President Points to Hitler's Germany as Appropriate Type of Government - Erdogan wants to convert his current, semi-ceremonial role into an executive presidency that he calls a “Turkish-style” presidential system. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu's speech at scene of Tel Aviv shooting: A shameful, fear-spreading horror show (Yossi
Verter, Haaretz+) The prime minister proved that he has not lost his penchant for hatred and
inciting against minorities, for seizing every tragedy to make political hay. It was low, even by his own
standards.
Wake up call: Now more than ever, let's not give in to fear and incitement (Summer Atamna. Maariv) The killer does not represent us, far from it. This is an insane man. Nobody supports him, and even his father promptly reported him to the police.
Don’t Put Israeli Arab Community in the Dock for Tel Aviv Shooting (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) Successive governments should be asking themselves who has prevented Arabs from feeling that they belong within Israel.
Let literature be literature (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom)
I support teaching controversial works in schools, even if they include anti-Jewish vitriol. There is no room for book burning in Israel.
Israel Has Always Been Xenophobic, It Just Used to Be Better at Hiding It (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Long before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, there was no real democracy in Israel. There was plenty of hatred of Arabs, but everything was hidden, unlike today – so which is better?
Explanation for Tel Aviv Shooting Extends Far Beyond ISIS (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) In the search for an all-encompassing meta-theory to explain the motives behind such attacks, the debate automatically turns to ISIS rather than facing the facts.
The entire world spies on the entire world (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) The Americans are experts in collecting political information, but have yet to learn how to properly sort it out and analyze it.
An Israeli Army Doormat Breaks the Silence (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) In Israel, former soldiers understand each other. They've seen the same things, but disagree on the interpretation. Bystanders, however, don't have a say.
2015: A Dry Year for Jewish Compassion (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) In 2015 Jews forgot they were not so long ago the most persecuted and dispersed people on earth.
The Republicans who built Trump are now out to destroy him (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Sane part of the Republican Party would rather lose presidential race than adopt a candidate whose greatness is in his racism, obscenity and tireless ability to instigate and spew hatred.
Amid the Bigotry, Israel Makes Giant Step Toward Equality (Gadi Taub, Haaretz+) Forget the sideshow about a narrow-minded minister banning a book, the Israeli government did something of historic importance this week and corrected its long-standing discrimination against the Arab community.
The Biggest Challenge for 2016: Coming Up With the 'Elevator Pitch' on Israel (Ilene Prusher, Haaretz+) I was an expert at condensing my answers into 1,000-word articles or giving a snappy, soundbitey shpiel on what’s happening in Israel. Then I moved to America.
It’s all by the book (Yael Stein, Yedioth/Ynet) The fact that something is legal doesn’t make it justified; sometimes, the fact that something is legal serves only to illustrate the bankruptcy of the legislative mechanisms in a place where criminal acts have become lawful.
Why Israel should invite Turkey to Gaza (Dror Zeevi, Yedioth/Ynet) The Turkish demand to get 'free access' to the Strip allegedly removes the absolute supervision from Israel's hands, but can actually provide Israel with new and more efficient supervision tools and create a further leverage of pressure on the Hamas leadership.
The Jewish ban on intermarriage has become a curse (Gershom Schocken, Haaretz Chief Editor, 1939-1990, Haaretz+) Intermarriage is one of the most sensitive subjects for Jews and Arabs living in this land. This article, written by Gershom Schocken, is being republished in light of the Education Ministry's decision to ban a book about an Arab-Jewish love affair.
The enlightened and the benighted (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) When a Jew is murdered, candy is being handed out on the Palestinian street. But when a Palestinian child is murdered by a Jew, 99% of Israelis are shocked. So saying Jewish terrorism encourages Arab terrorism is like saying an ant can carry an elephant.
Israel's ethical terrorism and special brand of morality (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) It’s terrorism, Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledges, but not exactly. It’s evil, but not entirely. And Jewish evil is always the exception that proves the rule.
American "espionage" against Israel does not go beyond the scope of the rules (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) The US ‘spying’ on Israel is not beyond the scope of the rules of the cyberworld: any computer or phone that connect to the Internet is an open book.
A pathetic, racist milestone on road of nationalist indoctrination of Israeli children (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Even if the decision to ban 'Borderlife' from high schools is reversed, it won't be enough. Netanyahu's silence proves that his government is sending Israel into the abyss of darkness and racism.
2015: The year of blatant and unapologetic Israeli fascism (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It was a year in which there wasn't even a semblance of peace talks or a diplomatic process, but that’s probably a good thing; enough with the charade.
The Lost Generation of Syrian Youth (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Some 1.5 million Syrian children are living in the refugee camps of Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. Even if the civil war ended tomorrow, it will take years for any sense of normality to return to their homeland, too late for many of them.
The Tragic Failure of the Arab World, and Why It's Bad for Israel (Shimon Shamir, Haaretz+) Following the collapse of ‘Arab socialism’ and demise of the ‘Arab Spring,’ is there any hope that the cradle of civilization will become a superpower once more?
Sayed Kashua Wonders if He Has Become a Zionist (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) The cigarette seller who knows your brand, the long lines at the post office, the driver who cuts you off on the road – these are what I miss about Israel.
Wake up call: Now more than ever, let's not give in to fear and incitement (Summer Atamna. Maariv) The killer does not represent us, far from it. This is an insane man. Nobody supports him, and even his father promptly reported him to the police.
Don’t Put Israeli Arab Community in the Dock for Tel Aviv Shooting (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) Successive governments should be asking themselves who has prevented Arabs from feeling that they belong within Israel.
Let literature be literature (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom)
I support teaching controversial works in schools, even if they include anti-Jewish vitriol. There is no room for book burning in Israel.
Israel Has Always Been Xenophobic, It Just Used to Be Better at Hiding It (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Long before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, there was no real democracy in Israel. There was plenty of hatred of Arabs, but everything was hidden, unlike today – so which is better?
Explanation for Tel Aviv Shooting Extends Far Beyond ISIS (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) In the search for an all-encompassing meta-theory to explain the motives behind such attacks, the debate automatically turns to ISIS rather than facing the facts.
The entire world spies on the entire world (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) The Americans are experts in collecting political information, but have yet to learn how to properly sort it out and analyze it.
An Israeli Army Doormat Breaks the Silence (Nissan Shor, Haaretz+) In Israel, former soldiers understand each other. They've seen the same things, but disagree on the interpretation. Bystanders, however, don't have a say.
2015: A Dry Year for Jewish Compassion (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) In 2015 Jews forgot they were not so long ago the most persecuted and dispersed people on earth.
The Republicans who built Trump are now out to destroy him (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Sane part of the Republican Party would rather lose presidential race than adopt a candidate whose greatness is in his racism, obscenity and tireless ability to instigate and spew hatred.
Amid the Bigotry, Israel Makes Giant Step Toward Equality (Gadi Taub, Haaretz+) Forget the sideshow about a narrow-minded minister banning a book, the Israeli government did something of historic importance this week and corrected its long-standing discrimination against the Arab community.
The Biggest Challenge for 2016: Coming Up With the 'Elevator Pitch' on Israel (Ilene Prusher, Haaretz+) I was an expert at condensing my answers into 1,000-word articles or giving a snappy, soundbitey shpiel on what’s happening in Israel. Then I moved to America.
It’s all by the book (Yael Stein, Yedioth/Ynet) The fact that something is legal doesn’t make it justified; sometimes, the fact that something is legal serves only to illustrate the bankruptcy of the legislative mechanisms in a place where criminal acts have become lawful.
Why Israel should invite Turkey to Gaza (Dror Zeevi, Yedioth/Ynet) The Turkish demand to get 'free access' to the Strip allegedly removes the absolute supervision from Israel's hands, but can actually provide Israel with new and more efficient supervision tools and create a further leverage of pressure on the Hamas leadership.
The Jewish ban on intermarriage has become a curse (Gershom Schocken, Haaretz Chief Editor, 1939-1990, Haaretz+) Intermarriage is one of the most sensitive subjects for Jews and Arabs living in this land. This article, written by Gershom Schocken, is being republished in light of the Education Ministry's decision to ban a book about an Arab-Jewish love affair.
The enlightened and the benighted (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) When a Jew is murdered, candy is being handed out on the Palestinian street. But when a Palestinian child is murdered by a Jew, 99% of Israelis are shocked. So saying Jewish terrorism encourages Arab terrorism is like saying an ant can carry an elephant.
Israel's ethical terrorism and special brand of morality (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) It’s terrorism, Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledges, but not exactly. It’s evil, but not entirely. And Jewish evil is always the exception that proves the rule.
American "espionage" against Israel does not go beyond the scope of the rules (Alon Ben-David, Maariv) The US ‘spying’ on Israel is not beyond the scope of the rules of the cyberworld: any computer or phone that connect to the Internet is an open book.
A pathetic, racist milestone on road of nationalist indoctrination of Israeli children (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Even if the decision to ban 'Borderlife' from high schools is reversed, it won't be enough. Netanyahu's silence proves that his government is sending Israel into the abyss of darkness and racism.
2015: The year of blatant and unapologetic Israeli fascism (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It was a year in which there wasn't even a semblance of peace talks or a diplomatic process, but that’s probably a good thing; enough with the charade.
The Lost Generation of Syrian Youth (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Some 1.5 million Syrian children are living in the refugee camps of Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. Even if the civil war ended tomorrow, it will take years for any sense of normality to return to their homeland, too late for many of them.
The Tragic Failure of the Arab World, and Why It's Bad for Israel (Shimon Shamir, Haaretz+) Following the collapse of ‘Arab socialism’ and demise of the ‘Arab Spring,’ is there any hope that the cradle of civilization will become a superpower once more?
Sayed Kashua Wonders if He Has Become a Zionist (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) The cigarette seller who knows your brand, the long lines at the post office, the driver who cuts you off on the road – these are what I miss about Israel.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.