APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday November 9, 2016
Quote of the day:
"Similarities between the right wing in the United States and Israel are evidence that the roots of the
powerful fury felt by our right-wing voters is not necessarily related to the sanctification of the land, or
fear of Palestinians, or relations between Mizrahim (Jews of Middle Eastern origin) and Ashkenazim (Jews of
Eastern European origin). Its origins are different and, as sane citizens, we have a responsibility to get to
the bottom of the problem and try to defuse it."
--Tzvia Greenfield, peace activist, leftist, and Israel's first female ultra-Orthodox MK examines what motivates right-wing US and Israeli voters.*
You Must Be Kidding:
Donald Trump was elected the next President of the United States of America
--Tzvia Greenfield, peace activist, leftist, and Israel's first female ultra-Orthodox MK examines what motivates right-wing US and Israeli voters.*
You Must Be Kidding:
Donald Trump was elected the next President of the United States of America
Breaking News:
Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump by phone as right-wing Israeli politicians called for the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem and hailed the end of two-state solution
(Haaretz, Ynet, Israel Hayom and Maariv)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- This morning, the results: the first female president or the sensation of Trump
- The swan song // Chemi Shalev
- The white fury // Yael Sternhell
- From cooperation to paralysis // Amir Oren
- Choosing Obama // Amira Hass
- They are both ours // Zvi Bar’el
- The US lost // Guy Rolnik
- Netanyahu instructed to attack (journalist) Ilana Dayan personally in response to the investigative report on ‘Uvda’ TV program
- Turkey and Albania thwarted the first ISIS attack against an Israeli target abroad
- (Jerusalem Mayor) Barekat changes his mind and advances construction in west Jerusalem
- Governmental incitement // Haaretz Editorial
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Madame President, Mr. President – America decided who will lead the free world
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Mr. President or Madame President?
- Dangerous days // Ron Miburg, Maine
- The morning after // Shmuel Rosner, Florida
- Our relations, whereto? // Shlomo Shamir, New York
- The response storm – Political establishment still in a storm over Netanyahu’s attack on Ilana Dayan following her investigative report on ‘Uvda’
Israel Hayom
- Tense night on the way to the White House
- Albania: ISIS activists planned attack against Israel’s national soccer team
- The Likud on the Ilana Dayan storm: “The media has the right to criticize the Prime Minister – and he has the right to criticize her”
News Summary:
When the Israeli papers were printed, it was yet unknown who would be the next president of the United States. But upon reading the papers it was clear, as it has been through most of this campaign, who the Israeli publishers wanted. With the obvious exception of Israel Hayom, Haaretz, Yedioth and Maariv wanted Clinton. Half of Yedioth’s front page read ‘Madame President’ and when turned upside down it read ‘Mr. President,’ with corresponding photos. But the paper was right-side-up only when you opened it so that the top half read: ‘Madame President.’ Maariv’s first and main Op-Ed about the elections was on page 4. The title was “Dangerous Days for Democracy” and had a half-page photo of Donald Trump. The titles of both Maariv and Haaretz’s front page Op-Eds warned of the doom of Trump and the after effects of his campaign. Only Israel Hayom surprised and didn’t seem, for this single edition, to take a side. Until today it was all Trump.
There was one other continuing big story in today’s Hebrew newspapers and that was the continued storm over Israeli Prime Minister’s attack on TV investigative journalist Ilana Dayan, following her program revealing serious misconduct in the Prime Minister’s Office, including Mrs. Sarah Netanyahu’s intervention in political appointments. Even a number of Mr. Netanyahu’s associates said his personal and extreme attack on her was ‘over the top.’ Haaretz+ quoted an unnamed “senior minister” who said that “Branding critics as leftists doesn't work anymore.” Dayan herself expressed surprise at Netanyahu’s attack on her. “I'm not Ahmadinejad, why is he so angry?' she asked. Speaking at the Knesset plenum, far right-wing Likud MK Yehuda Glick said that he "cannot understand Netanyahu’s reaction to Ilana Dayan.” (Maariv) Journalist Gabi Gazit said, "Ilana Dayan put a mirror to the face of a crazy government." But Likud officials said that if the media can criticize Netanyahu, he can strike back. [Note, the attack was personal and unreasonable. -OH]
Quick Hits:
- Israel stymies Palestinian attempts to join Interpol - An elated Prime Minister Netanyahu attributes success in staving off Palestinian efforts—which would have granted authority to issue international arrest warrants and provided access to key terror-related information—to Israel's 'improved international standing.' (Yedioth/Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- After vote on Jerusalem, Israel poses conditions for UNESCO rapprochement - Netanyahu recalled ambassador to UNESCO after it passed a slew of resolutions ignoring Judaism's ties with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. (Haaretz+)
- Israel's UNESCO Envoy Heads to Paris With List of Demands for Organization - Carmel Shama-Hacohen, who was recalled to Israel to protest UNESCO's resolutions on Jerusalem, will try to restore ties with the international body. (Haaretz+)
- Israel, Albania World Cup qualifier moved due to 'ISIS threat' - Israeli military issues travel warning, despite reported arrest of terrorists. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Israeli forces confiscate trailer, construction materials, water tank in Hebron area town - Palestinian security forces told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the Wadi al-Amayer area in al-Samu and seized a residential trailer, along with the contents inside, belonging to Muhammad Khalil Abu Qbita. (Maan)
- Brother of terror victim tells killer: 'I came to look you in the eye' - The brother of one of the victims murdered in the Panorama Tel Aviv attack provides testimony in the trial of the Palestinian terrorist, asks the court to hand down a harsh punishment; 'my mother cries every day.’ (Ynet)
- A string of murders highlights the status of Israeli-Arab women - A series of murders has sparked unprecedented demonstrations against the mistreatment of women within the Israeli-Arab community. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- No sex segregation on campus for ultra-Orthodox, Tel Aviv Uni head says - Gender separation undermines the educational essence of academic life, asserts Prof. Joseph Klafter, revealing his plan to raise $1 billion over a period of 10 years. (Haaretz+)
- Neflix buys Israeli thriller Fauda - The American network buys the celebrated Israeli series about an elite IDF unit in pursuit of a Hamas leader; the show will be broadcast in its original Hebrew and Arabic. (Ynet)
- Trump Followers' anti-Semitism Gives Jewish Voters Chills - Some voters are sensing a Jewish component to the high-stake election. One that has them reassessing their view of what it is to be Jewish in America. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Trump's Jewish Advisor Denies Campaign Ad Is anti-Semitic - David Friedman, Jewish advisor to Republican nominee Donald Trump said that the Jewish community should distinguish between 'real anti-Semitism and fake anti-Semitism'. (Haaretz)
- Investigators begin probing Mosul mass grave - Following advances on the ISIS stronghold by Iraqi armed forces, the discovery of a mass grave near the city with over 100 bodies, including children—many of them decapitated—is indicative of the brutality with which ISIS rules the city. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Escaping ISIS Clutches in Mosul, Civilians Are Targeted and Trapped - Fleeing residents said the militants had stepped up violence against civilians, including using car bombs, as they came under increasing military pressure in Intisar. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Rearguard action
The answer to B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence: People from the ‘Emet Sheli’ (My Truth) organization are going out on a campaign across US campuses in an attempt to present the positive side of IDF soldiers. “Jews there have become more critical towards Israel,” they said. (Eyal Levy, Maariv’s Magazine supplement, cover)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu's Hit List: Attacking Israeli Journalists Is Now Official Policy (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Netanyahu’s reply to the television investigation into his personal life could prove to be an ugly pivotal moment in Israeli democracy. Journalists be warned: If you’re not from Israel Hayom or its ilk, you’re in the gun sights.
Another journalist enters Netanyahu’s blacklist (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Ilana Dayan joins a long list of media personalities who have dared to do their job and reveal what is going on in the Prime Minister’s Office, immediately making herself an enemy of Israel.
Israel's Prime Minister Of Incitement (Haaretz Editorial) Anyone who describes journalists as Nazis and traitors is effectively saying it’s okay to kill them: Israeli law prescribes the death penalty for both Nazism and treason.
A steep slope: Netanyahu's conduct in the face of criticism is a warning sign (MK Amir Peretz, Maariv) The scared reaction of the Prime Minister to Ilana Dayan's investigation is a jarring alarm, which calls on all of us to stand up in the face of [Netanyahu’s] war against the media and journalists.
Where does Donald Trump stand on Israel? (Brian Schaefer, Haaretz+) Headed into the general election against Hillary Clinton, Trump's positions on Israel are still somewhat unclear. Here's what the Republican nominee has said about Israel so far.
US elections as a symptom of Western fracture (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Western democracies are struggling with questions of national identity, solidarity, a shared ethos, the place of religion, etc. In European countries, the battle is between an old, corrupt and rotten establishment and populist and demagogic politics. In other words: Clinton vs. Trump.
Trump Is White America’s Great White Hope (Yael Sternhell, Haaretz) It is no coincidence that Donald Trump’s rise coincided with the end of Barack Obama’s term.
Dangerous days for democracy: Trump's success will be taught for years ahead (Ron Miberg, Maariv) The campaign conducted by the Republican candidate will be used as a lesson of what happens to an enlightened nation which loses its sanity. History, close and distant, teaches that tyrants in the making will always be clients.
*In Israel and the United States, The Right Wing Is the Problem (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) No matter what happens in the U.S. election, we must address the problem of why some right-wing voters seemingly want to smash the democratic system.
US elections: Netanyahu’s fears and wise judgment (Judith Miller, Yedioth/Ynet) While the prime minister is said to fear that neither presidential candidate can be counted upon to protect Israel’s vital interests, he suspects that Trump might be the more dependable ally.
Trump Supporters' Violence Is Real. Ask American Muslims (Haroon Moghul, Haaretz) Commentators warning of post-election violence seem to have a blind spot to the horrifying Trump-triggered race hate, threats and attacks already here: against American Muslims.
Why I supported Trump (Eliyakim Haetzni, Yedioth) My preferred candidate is Trump, and that is from a single point of view – the question of who is “better for the Jews” and for their country. Although, even if Clinton is elected, what would not make things easy for any Israeli leader who is trying to advance the national interest in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Israel of today is strong enough and does not have to give in to pressure.
Trump or Clinton, Israel Wins (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) We can always play the victim to whichever non-Jew controls the White House. It’s worked until now; no reason it shouldn’t save Israel in the future as well.
By Tainting Electoral Process, Putin Already Won the U.S. Election (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz) Through hacks, leaks and trolling, the Kremlin has helped create the impression that Western democracy is no better than other systems.
Israeli Reporter Exposes Netanyahu's True Face by Reading Out His Comments on TV (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz) In Netanyahu’s world of distorted mirrors, Ilana Dayan, who stands up for the settlements, is the extreme left.
Israeli Journalist Ilana Dayan Swallowed Netanyahu’s Bait Hook, Line and Sinker (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Responses on the left prove that the findings in her investigative report are no longer relevant – Netanyahu reads this nation better than the media.
The answer to B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence: People from the ‘Emet Sheli’ (My Truth) organization are going out on a campaign across US campuses in an attempt to present the positive side of IDF soldiers. “Jews there have become more critical towards Israel,” they said. (Eyal Levy, Maariv’s Magazine supplement, cover)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu's Hit List: Attacking Israeli Journalists Is Now Official Policy (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Netanyahu’s reply to the television investigation into his personal life could prove to be an ugly pivotal moment in Israeli democracy. Journalists be warned: If you’re not from Israel Hayom or its ilk, you’re in the gun sights.
Another journalist enters Netanyahu’s blacklist (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Ilana Dayan joins a long list of media personalities who have dared to do their job and reveal what is going on in the Prime Minister’s Office, immediately making herself an enemy of Israel.
Israel's Prime Minister Of Incitement (Haaretz Editorial) Anyone who describes journalists as Nazis and traitors is effectively saying it’s okay to kill them: Israeli law prescribes the death penalty for both Nazism and treason.
A steep slope: Netanyahu's conduct in the face of criticism is a warning sign (MK Amir Peretz, Maariv) The scared reaction of the Prime Minister to Ilana Dayan's investigation is a jarring alarm, which calls on all of us to stand up in the face of [Netanyahu’s] war against the media and journalists.
Where does Donald Trump stand on Israel? (Brian Schaefer, Haaretz+) Headed into the general election against Hillary Clinton, Trump's positions on Israel are still somewhat unclear. Here's what the Republican nominee has said about Israel so far.
US elections as a symptom of Western fracture (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Western democracies are struggling with questions of national identity, solidarity, a shared ethos, the place of religion, etc. In European countries, the battle is between an old, corrupt and rotten establishment and populist and demagogic politics. In other words: Clinton vs. Trump.
Trump Is White America’s Great White Hope (Yael Sternhell, Haaretz) It is no coincidence that Donald Trump’s rise coincided with the end of Barack Obama’s term.
Dangerous days for democracy: Trump's success will be taught for years ahead (Ron Miberg, Maariv) The campaign conducted by the Republican candidate will be used as a lesson of what happens to an enlightened nation which loses its sanity. History, close and distant, teaches that tyrants in the making will always be clients.
*In Israel and the United States, The Right Wing Is the Problem (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) No matter what happens in the U.S. election, we must address the problem of why some right-wing voters seemingly want to smash the democratic system.
US elections: Netanyahu’s fears and wise judgment (Judith Miller, Yedioth/Ynet) While the prime minister is said to fear that neither presidential candidate can be counted upon to protect Israel’s vital interests, he suspects that Trump might be the more dependable ally.
Trump Supporters' Violence Is Real. Ask American Muslims (Haroon Moghul, Haaretz) Commentators warning of post-election violence seem to have a blind spot to the horrifying Trump-triggered race hate, threats and attacks already here: against American Muslims.
Why I supported Trump (Eliyakim Haetzni, Yedioth) My preferred candidate is Trump, and that is from a single point of view – the question of who is “better for the Jews” and for their country. Although, even if Clinton is elected, what would not make things easy for any Israeli leader who is trying to advance the national interest in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Israel of today is strong enough and does not have to give in to pressure.
Trump or Clinton, Israel Wins (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) We can always play the victim to whichever non-Jew controls the White House. It’s worked until now; no reason it shouldn’t save Israel in the future as well.
By Tainting Electoral Process, Putin Already Won the U.S. Election (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz) Through hacks, leaks and trolling, the Kremlin has helped create the impression that Western democracy is no better than other systems.
Israeli Reporter Exposes Netanyahu's True Face by Reading Out His Comments on TV (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz) In Netanyahu’s world of distorted mirrors, Ilana Dayan, who stands up for the settlements, is the extreme left.
Israeli Journalist Ilana Dayan Swallowed Netanyahu’s Bait Hook, Line and Sinker (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Responses on the left prove that the findings in her investigative report are no longer relevant – Netanyahu reads this nation better than the media.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.