News Nosh 07.03.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday July 3, 2016
 
Quote of the day:
“Last time I checked, Zuckerberg was not elected prime minister of Israel and is not a member of our security cabinet, so he will not stop the terrorism.”
--Zionist Union MK Erel Margalit responded to Minister Gilad Erdan, who blamed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the killing of two Israelis in the West Bank.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
Israel Hayom

News Summary:
An Israeli settler was killed in a drive-by shooting near Hebron, ministers blamed Facebook and put 700,000 more Palestinians under siege and famed Holocaust survivor and writer, Elie Wiesel, died - making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, the Israeli Prime Minister slammed the Mideast Quartet report and a rocket fell in a pre-school in Sderot Friday night.
 
Israel is still on a manhunt to find who shot at the car of a family from Otniel settlement, killing the father, Rabbi Michael Mark, 48, who was the head of the settlement’s pre-military yeshiva, and injured his wife and two children.Maariv reported that it was a Palestinian couple gave first aid to the injured settler family. 
 
Israel responded to the killing of Michael Mark and that of 13-year-old Hallel Yaffe Ariel, who was stabbed to death in another Hebron settlement the day before, by imposing a closure on the whole Hebron governate, locking some 700,000 people in their villages and in Hebron, the most populous Palestinian city, and declaring to build 42 new Kiryat Arba homes, as well as to freeze the transfer of monies owed to the Palestinian Authority and of bodies of Palestinian assailants to their families and revoking work permits of all the people from the village of Thursday’s attacker. Moreover, the IDF is boosting infantry battalions in the West Bank, Maariv reported. Maan has details of the blockade. Rabbi Mark was a close friend of Temple Mount activist, MK Yehuda Glick (Likud), also from Otniel. A new Palestinian animated video shows the killing of the Likud MK, who has already survived an assassination attempt in the past, and was close to the area where his friend Mark was murdered Friday. For the most part, the Israeli commentators thought that the measures the government took, and which had been taken many times in the past, were collective punishment and would not change anything. Yedioth’s Alex Fishman wrote that the only thing in common between the two attacks on the weekend was that they were particularly daring and successful, but that it was too early to frame them as part of the wave of terror.
 
**Two Israeli ministers pointed an accusatory finger at Facebook. Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad called Facebook a 'monster' for ‘permitting too much incitement and stymieing police work’ and said Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, had blood on his hands. Education Minister Naftali Bennett proposed a program, which would block the use of Facebook to the whole Hebron area. (MaarivFacebook said it was in ongoing dialogue with the Israeli government on these issues.  The Opposition made fun of the Israeli government for blaming terror on Zuckerberg.
 
What was not in the news, except in Haaretz+, was the death of an elderly Palestinian man from inhaling tear gas that Israeli soldiers shot at Palestinians in a clash at Qalandiya checkpoint in E. Jerusalem. Some 40 others suffered severe tear gas inhalation, too.
 
The single rocket attack that hit a kindergarten was not big news in the Hebrew newspapers. Israel attacked four Hamas undefined targets in the Gaza Strip as retaliation for the rocket that exploded late Friday night, but did not injure anyone. Afterward, the IDF said that the rocket was not from Hamas, but from an extremist Salafi group.
 
The Mideast Quartet report gave Israel the brunt of the blame for the stalling of the peace process with the Palestinians, due to Israel's settlement construction could prevent a two-state solution. It also said the Palestinians must condemn terror attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the Quartet was comparing Israeli settlement construction to terror and that he rejected. The Palestinians were also disappointed with the report and wanted the 1967 borders added to it. 

In response to the report: the settlement city of Maale Adumim called to apply Israeli sovereignty on the city. The mayor, along with MKs Yoav Kish (Likud) and Bezalel Smotrich (Habayit Hayehudi), are expected to sign today a "Declaration of Sovereignty of Ma'ale Adumim" and launch a campaign on behalf of the annexation of the city to the state. (Maariv)
 
Quick Hits:
  • 2 Palestinians injured by live fire in Hebron-area clashes with Israeli forces - Two Palestinian youths were shot and injured and several others suffered from tear-gas inhalation during clashes with Israeli forces Saturday afternoon in the village of Dura. The clashes came as the entire city of Hebron, the occupied West Bank’s most populous city, entered its second day under full Israeli-implemented blockade. (Maan)
  • IDF arrested 1,495 terrorists since start of 2016, report finds - Military report on terrorist activity in the first half of 2016 finds overall decrease in the number of violent riots, stoning, stabbing, ramming and shooting attacks. IDF raids 11 weapon mills in Judea and Samaria, razes the homes of 18 terrorists. [NOTE: The IDF now defines Palestinian stone-throwers as ‘terrorists’, but not Jewish stone-throwers, and it appears the majority of those arrested were stone-throwers. – OH] (Israel Hayom
  • Turkish ship sets off to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza via Israeli port - The Palestinian embassy in Turkey said that the ship was carrying 10,000 toys, 10,000 packages of food including canned goods, flour, sugar, rice, vegetable oil, as well as clothes and shoes. (Maan
  • Parents of kidnapped soldier to block Gaza aid - As a Turkish ship bringing aid to the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip nears Israeli shores as a part of the Israel-Turkey reconciliation agreement, parents of Oron Shaul plan on blocking the Kerem Shalom crossing into the strip until the remains their son and of Hadar Goldin are returned. (Ynet
  • Arab reactions mixed over Zoabi outburst - Following Balad MK Hanin Zoabi's outburst at the Knesset, whereby she called the IDF soldiers who took over the Mavi Marmara 'murderers,' many members of Israel's Arab sector have expressed displeasure at the MK's performance. (Ynet)
  • Rafah crossing reopened for 3rd day following Friday closure - The short reprieve from heavy border restrictions comes as Israel's military blockade of the Gaza Strip approaches nearly a decade. Gaza's 1.8 million residents continue to struggle to meet their basic needs due to severe constraints on goods coming in and out. (Maan
  • Egyptian electricity line to Gaza repaired after being damaged by Egyptian airstrikes - The Egyptian power line was damaged during Egyptian airstrikes in the Sinai Peninsula against the ISIS-affiliated Sinai Province group last week -- which left 33 killed and more than 50 wounded. (Maan
  • U.S. Seeks to Increase Aid to Israel - With More of It to Be Spent on American Equipment - Citing a well-developed Israeli security industry, sources say part of the current agreement 'no longer serves the interests of either the U.S. or Israel.' (Haaretz+)
  • Mossad chief meets with Russian defense officials in Moscow - In an unusual step, Putin's national security adviser officially announces the Israeli spy agency head's visit. (Haaretz
  • Israeli settlers raid lands in Bethlehem, spray "Death to Arabs" on Palestinian property - Israeli settlers from the illegal Betar Illit settlement raided Palestinian lands in the village of Wadi Fukin in the central occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem last Tuesday. (Maan
  • Palestinian family sues French company for Protective Edge 'war crimes' - Members of the Shuheibar family from Gaza City are pursuing in justice French company Exxelia Technologies for having allegedly sold a sensor used in a missile that killed three children on their roof. (Agencies, Ynet
  • Decade after Second Lebanon War, a reinforced children's hospital in the north - Safed's Ziv Medical Center has a new, completely armored children's hospital with sophisticated equipment, various wards, and 60 cm thick walls facing Lebanon. (Ynet
  • Kiryat Arba stabber said he wanted to become a 'martyr' on Facebook - Mohammed Tra'ayra, 19, who stabbed 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel to death in her home, had praised terrorists and voiced his wish to carry out an attack on social media. (Haaretz
  • Court extends arrest of Netanya terror accomplice - Man who dropped off a terrorist who stabbed 2 in Netanya and then deleted messages proving they had arranged the ride to remain in custody for 5 additional days; Suspect's family; 'He didn't know.' (Ynet
  • Israel Planning ultra-Orthodox Platoon for IDF's Paratroop Brigade - The ultra-Orthodox recruits will be in an environment separate from women and the final phase of their service will be dedicated to supplementary education courses. (Haaretz+)
  • IDF adopts 4G operational phone - Devices secured for classified communication, sending videos and routes. Head of C41's Cellular Communications and Electronic Warfare Division, Lt. Col. Ido Halstock: No risk of the enemy gleaning information if they find one of these phones. (Israel Hayom
  • Some 400,000 Muslims attend overnight prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem - Laylat al-Qadr ('Night of Power') worshippers included visitors from a variety of countries, including Malaysia, Turkey, South Africa, the U.K. and Indonesia. (Haaretz
  • Israel Is 'Air Bridge' Between Middle East Countries Fighting Terror, Says Air Force Chief - In the past the IAF is reported to have conducted joint exercises with its Jordanian counterpart, including in-air refueling of Jordanian fighter planes. (Haaretz+) 
  • Hezbollah Claims It Killed ISIS Commander in Lebanon - After a number of suicide attacks hit the border region between Lebanon and Syria, Hezbollah blamed ISIS for the attacks. (Agencies, Haaretz
  • Turkey to Restore Jewish Cemetery Dating Back to Early Ottoman Empire - Entitled 'Silent Witnesses of Milas Jewry,' the restoration project honors the Jewish community of the southwestern town of Milas, who have long since left. (Haaretz
  • Iran's Rohani: 'We Stand With the Dispossessed Palestinian Nation’; raps Israel and the West - President accuses the West of exploiting Mideast rivalries to divert attention from Israeli-Palestinian conflict as Islamic Republic marks Al-Quds Day. (Agencies, Haaretz and Ynet
  • 'Zionist Regime Manipulates Judaism,' Says Tehran Jewish Leader - Iranian news agency quotes Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi as saying that Jews attended Quds Day rallies to 'condemn the Zionist regime atrocities against Palestinians.' (Haaretz
  • Labour apologizes after Corbyn seems to compare Israel, radical Islamic groups - U.K. opposition party reaches out to Israeli envoy in London to 'unequivocally' apologize for 'unacceptable remarks,' Israel says. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
After Shooting a Palestinian With Down Syndrome, Israeli Soldiers Fled Without Looking Back
Eyewitnesses say Arif Jaradat, 23, did not endanger anyone when he was shot by Israeli troops. Jaradat, loved by all the children in his village, died of his injuries last week. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) 
Operation Entebbe as told by the commandos: The return home
40 years after one the most famous commando operations in history, Sayeret Matkal's soldiers recount the events that culminated in the release of 106 hostages from an airport terminal in Uganda: The stressful flight home, a hero's welcome, and the joy that was mixed with pain. Part 5 of 5. (Ronen Bergman and Lior Ben-Ami, Yedioth/Ynet
Bittersweet Life for Israeli-Arab Food Vendors During Ramadan
A trip to Lod during the Muslim month of fasting to sample the delights of qatayef and despair at the neglect of this fascinating city. (Hagai Amit, Haaretz+)
IN PHOTOS: Iran holds annual anti-Israel Quds day rallies
Iran does not recognize Israel and has marked al-Quds day since the start of its 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims. (Haaretz

Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli Collective Punishment May Push Palestinians Into More Terror (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Benjamin Netanyahu has to deal with squads using improvised weapons, teens taking knives from their parents’ kitchens, and social media. 
The $30 billion (or more) question: Why is the US military aid package so important?
(Itamar Eichner, Yedioth/Ynet) What is the disagreement about? What's a memorandum of understanding? Who wants to sign with Obama, and who would rather wait? Should we have sorted this out before the Iran deal? Questions and answers about the terms and conditions of US military aid to Israel.
Moldy solutions: no blood is on the hands of Mark Zuckerberg (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The government found those responsible for the wave of terror: Facebook and Mahmoud Abbas, but there is no point fighting the social media network, and we will be the ones missing the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. It's time to harm the summer camp conditions of security prisoners.
Right-wing Populism Wins in Britain and Israel (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz+) When people are hurting and resentful, logical and considered arguments do not capture hearts; simple stories do.
Time for Abbas to go (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) Mahmoud Abbas has held the keys to the Palestinian leadership for too long, and has done nothing with it. He not only hasn't done anything productive regarding the peace process, but even for his own people. It's time for him to go. 
How Can Israeli Leaders Still Argue That Settlements Boost Security? (Haaretz Editorial) The killings over the weekend prove that collective punishment against the Palestinians leads to a situation where the army can’t protect Israelis. 
We must not fall into the trap: we must enact a general law, not a personal against MK Haneen Zoabi (Attorney Yechiel Gutman, Maariv) It’s time to remove the MK from the Knesset, but unlike the suggestion of the chairman of the coalition, there is a proper and legal way to do this worthy act, which the High Court won’t oppose.
Heinous Killing on Both Sides of the Israeli-Palestinian Divide (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Tears have poured in Kiryat Arba, Sa’ir and elsewhere. The motives are different, but the results are identical and horrendous. 
Reconciliation and disgust: unusually, Netanyahu made a move that was not populist (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Prime Minister, who ignored the warnings regarding the operation on the Marmara, finally acted properly in the matter, but is still not able to speak the truth to the Shaul and Goldin families. 
Elie Wiesel Hides Ethnic Cleansing Behind a Prayer Shawl (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz 2014) This ostensible messenger of peace supports an organization that evicts Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem. Among the signatures on an ad blessing the “dozens of new families joining the Jewish community in the City of David” [the settler’s name for the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan – OH] was the name of Elie Wiesel. He is the chairman of Elad’s public council. (See also +972mag
To sign deal with Turkey, Netanyahu turned his back on his electoral base (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) In striking a deal with Erdogan this week, Netanyahu veered away from his constituency and paid a low price for it. But he'd ask for a serious payback from Herzog if he decides to join the coalition. 
Why the Israeli Army Is Dropping Its Controversial Hannibal Directive (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Army chief Gadi Eisenkot is determined to rid the IDF of its entrenched conventions, whether that's on the battlefield or at training bases. The actions of politicians and religious leaders don't make his task any easier.
The war between us and ourselves (Tali Ben Ovadia, Yedioth/Ynet) The reconciliation agreement with Turkey matters less than the more important—and more needed—reconciliation agreement with ourselves: Netanyahu must lead the nation to unity, and pot-stirring politicians need to cut it out. 
Blame Facebook for Donald Trump and Brexit (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) The site threatens to impose a world order that is racist, separatist, militant, tribal and religious, and to dismantle any universal, humanist and liberal identity. 
Realistic expectations are key (Prof. Efraim Inbar, Israel Hayom) The political realities in the Gaza Strip are very complex, and Israel must be realistic about what can be achieved by military action.
Political Lynching of an Israeli Arab Lawmaker (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) Haneen Zoabi remarked 'you murdered,' which was later interpreted as 'Israeli soldiers are murderers,' after she was insulted and shouted at by her Knesset 'colleagues.'
 
Interviews:
Turkish reconciliation agreement is price worth paying, says Israeli architect of deal
Joseph Ciechanover reflects on six years of secret talks with Turkey and efforts to resolve the diplomatic crisis, telling Haaretz: 'I needed a lot of patience.' (Interviewed by Barak Ravid in Haaretz+)
 
'We got what we wanted'
Professor Moshe Sharon, Israel's greatest Middle East scholar, tells Israel Hayom that the reconciliation deal with Turkey is a success for Israel. "There was a crisis, and now it's over. So it cost us $20 million -- that's small change for us." (Interviewed by Dror Eydar in Israel Hayom)
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.