News Nosh 08.12.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday August 12, 2016

While News Nosh's Israel editor is on vacation, we are publishing an abbreviated version produced in Washington and therefore it may be sent later in the day.
 
Quote of the day:
"I ask you: Who cares more about Palestinians? Israel, that facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, every single day? Or Hamas, which robs Palestinian children of that very same aid?... I'm going to say something now that some of you will not believe. But I'm going to say it anyway because it's true. I, the prime minister of Israel, care more about Palestinians than their own leaders do."
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
 

Front Page:
Haaretz
Israel Hayom
Times of Israel
Ynet News

News Summary:
The Israeli government unanimously passed the 2017-2018 state budget and the Economic Arrangements Law after a 21 hour meeting - the 2017 budget will be 454.1 billion shekels, and the 2018 budget 463.6 billion shekels. Both laws have been transferred to the Justice Ministry and will be brought to the Knesset for a vote in late October. The budget includes "incentives to promote growth, increase competition, amd reduce high cost of living with steps to cut taxes, reduce regulation, boost foreign investment, and improve public transportation," says PM Netanyahu. The welfare, culture, and science budgets have increased, and one controversial clause will introduce a multiple properties tax.

Israel has begun the process of relocating the Amona outpost to a new location, also on Palestinian owned land. Israel's Civil Administration placed an ad in the Palestinian newspaper, al-Quds, listing the land in question as belonging to unknown absentee Palestinian owners and liable for seizure - they invite legal objections to be made within the next 30 days. Peace Now says that "it can be assumed that the purpose of the takeover is to allow the relocation of settlers."
 
Quick Hits:
  • Israel's binary options executives fear regulators could shut down their industry, but they're enjoying the party while it lasts. France has banned the firm 24Option, also operating in Israel, which may cost the company up to $2 million a month. While privately the mood darkens for these executives, publically the elaborate parties continue. (Times of Israel)
  • Bus driver Roey Levy took an unconscious passenger to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa after being told the ambulance was 20 minutes away, saving the woman's life. (Israel Hayom)
  • France is fuming over the razing of Paris-funded Palestinian buildings. The French government says Israel’s demolitions of European projects in the West Bank is a violation of international law. (Times of Israel)
  • Israeli supermodel, Bar Rafaeli, gave birth to her first child on Thursday in Tel-Aviv. She is married to businessman Adi Ezra. They named their girl Liv. (Israel Hayom)
  • Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,000-year-old skeleton of a teenager amid a mound of ashes built up over a millennium from sacrificed animals on Mount Lykaion, once worshipped as the birthplace of the god Zeus. Mount Lykaion has been associated with Greek cults linked with human sacrifice to Zeus, which has until now been unconfirmed by archaeological evidence. "According to legend, a boy was sacrificed with the animals and all the meat was cooked and eaten together. Whoever ate the human part would become a wolf for nine years." (Times of Israel)
  • A recent special poll ordered for Radio station 103FM found that Yesh Atid is rising and the Zionist Union is collapsing. Here are the poll numbers (numbers in parentheses indicate current numbers). (Maariv)
    • Likud- 27 (30)
    • Yesh Atid- 21 (11)
    • Jewish Home- 13 (8)
    • Arab Joint List- 13 (13)
    • Zionist Union- 10 (24)
    • Yisrael Beiteinu- 9 (6)
    • Shas- 8 (7)
    • UTJ- 7 (6)
    • Kulanu- 6 (10)
    • Meretz- 6 (5)