APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday December 8, 2016
Quote of the day:
"Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan continues to work at a feverish pace to help Israel catch up with
other advanced countries like China, North Korea and Iran."
--Haaretz Editorial slams Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan for his new "McCarthyite approach" of appointing a task force to identify companies, organizations and individuals who call for a boycott of Israel or the West Bank settlements.**
--Haaretz Editorial slams Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan for his new "McCarthyite approach" of appointing a task force to identify companies, organizations and individuals who call for a boycott of Israel or the West Bank settlements.**
Breaking News:
Attempted Stabbing Reported in West Bank; 19-year-old suspect from Qalqilya was shot and killed at Tapuach Junction after reportedly walking off bus toward soldiers and pulling out knife. No Israelis injured. (Haaretz and Maariv)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Syria: Israel attacked in Damascus for second time in a week
- On a thin line // Amos Harel
- Associate of Prime Minister: Netanyahu acting to make the Muezzin bill more severe
- Dozens of (African) foreigners jailed in Israel for years, even though they cannot be deported
- The government will invest 136 million shekels in Jewish studies at schools abroad
- Netanyahu to Hollande: Cancel the (Paris) summit and I’ll meet with Abbas
- Coalition opposed, but the law to double the monthly stipend for handicapped was passed
- Young man suspected of posing as doctor at Tel Hashomer Hospital and treating hundreds of sick
- After Jerusalem Mayor Barekat, Tel-Aviv Mayor Huldai also wants to drop in the social-economic index
- (Minister) Gilad McCarthy // Haaretz Editorial
- People living in the periphery of the country die more (in hospitals)
- Yaalon did not know about Iran’s part in the submarine deal
- His year (Photo of Donald Trump on cover of Time magazine)
- Joint for the goyim: Israel likely to export medicinal cannabis
- I accuse: Eli Yisraeli was kicked out of Army Radio and is shooting in all directions: “Netanyahu set the path – and the radio station went right-wing. In recent years, Army Radio has more people wearing kippahs than I saw in all of my 42 years there”
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Lieberman: “Acting to prevent Hezbollah from getting weapons of mass destruction”
- Suspicion: Sex benefits for a former MK
- Fear: Rat poison in Sugat’s bag of whole wheat
Israel Hayom
- “Preventing smuggling of weapons of mass destruction” – Lieberman hints after Syria and Hezbollah accuse: “Israel attacked again”
- Worrying signs in the north // Yoav Limor
- Former MK detained – suspected of receiving money and sexual bribes
- “The law of eavesdropping”: We figured out long ago that everyone is spying on everyone // Boaz Bismuth on the new Snowden documents
- Amona crisis: (Outpost) Regulation Bill passed first reading in Knesset
- President-elect Trump: Time magazine ‘Person of the Year’
News Summary:
Israel attacked in Syria, another Israeli who served in government was suspected of sex-related crimes, documents revealed the UK spied on Israel and the latest on the Amona dilemma were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu rejected France’s suggestion for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and conflicting reports said Netanyahu either made the controversial Muezzin Bill more severe or that he called for the bill to be dropped from the agenda.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman hinted that Israel was responsible for yesterday’s strikes at a military airport in Damascus. Lieberman said Israel is “trying to prevent the smuggling of sophisticated weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction from Syria to Hezbollah."
The outpost legalization bill to expropriate privately-owned Palestinian land for the use of Jewish settlers passed its first reading in the Knesset. Education Minister Naftali Bennet called it “a day of extreme pride” and called on Amona outpost settlers to refrain from violence when the outpost was evacuated. But Amona settlers almost had a fist fight last night with representatives from the Yesha Settlers’ Council in a meeting at Ofra settlement, Yedioth reported. The Yesha representatives were looking for relocation solutions and the Amona settlers would have none of it. Ofra settlers said they were attacked by Amona settlers and told them: “You are not wanted here. Take your violence out of here.” Amona settlers tried to pressure the Yesha Settlers Council to join them in their battle to pressure Bennett regarding the ‘Regulation Bill.’ Meanwhile, the government is looking at a new transfer location for the 40 Amona settler families, possibly to the nearby Ofra settlement or maybe to establish a new settlement near Shvut Rachel.
Netanyahu, who opposed the ‘Regulation Bill,’ is now trying to curry favor among the far-right-wing supporters of Bennett by harshening the Muezzin bill, Haaretz+ reported. Netanyahu aims to change the bill to ban mosque loudspeakers not only at night, but also during the day. However, according to Maariv, Netanyahu told Health Minister Yaakov Leitzman that he wanted the Muezzin Bill removed from the Knesset agenda - because of the legal difficulties of excluding the ultra-Orthodox Jews’ Sabbath siren from the bill. Moreover, Maariv reported that far-right-wing religious MK Yehuda Glick and Arab MK Zouheir Bahloul promoted an initiative to reach understandings with public and religious Muslim figures on the issue of the noise and not through legislation. The two MKs said that the bill was taken off the agenda following the pressure they exerted. They also said that Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, was also pressuring to sort out the issue through agreements and not through legislation.
France’s President Francois Hollande invited Netanyahu and Abbas to meet in Paris in two weeks immediately after a foreign ministers' summit in the French capital on the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But Netanyahu conditioned meeting Abbas in Paris on the Paris peace conference being called off.
Quick Hits:
- Watchdog Slams 'Illegal' Israeli Threats to Schools Over Breaking the Silence Talks - Over the past few days, two principals have been challenged for either hosting or seeking to invite the activists for a lecture. (Haaretz+)
- U.K. Intelligence Called Israel 'True Threat' to Middle East - A 2008 document, leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden, says the British were concerned about Israel's stance on Iran. GCHQ also spied on Israeli diplomats, and defense firms. (Haaretz)
- Report: NSA, GCHQ spied on Israeli diplomats, defense companies - Based on information from whistleblower Edward Snoden, Le Monde reports the American and British intelligence agencies also spied on Israeli academic research centers, Palestinian officials and even MK Ahmad Tibi. (Ynet)
- Documents reveal: Did Israel and South Africa carry out a nuclear test? - Two US researchers suggest the possibility that flash of light that was caught by a satellite in September of 1979 was part of a joint test of the two countries. The researchers named an Israeli scientist who was a collaborator (on the project.) (Maariv)
- Theologian Barred From Entering Israel: Guards Didn’t Ask Me About BDS - Isabel Phiri is an executive of the World Council of Churches, which says it does not support boycotts or sanctions against Israel. (Haaretz+)
- Report: Ya'alon pleads ignorance over Iranian links to submarine deal - As defense establishment struggles to conform to a consistent version over knowledge of Iranian involvement in Israel's submarine deal with a German company, fresh details obtained by Yedioth Ahronoth gainsay Lieberman's claims that ‘it was known in 2004’ as former defense minister Ya'alon was reportedly unaware of any such involvement. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Shin Bet busts Palestinian terror cell that committed shooting attacks - Three Palestinian terrorists who carried out four shootings near Ofra settlement arrested by Shin Bet, IDF and Border Police forces; terror cell is the same that carried out shooting attacks in Ofra in October and November of this year. (Ynet)
- Rare Hebrew Production of Egyptian Play Offers Perspective Israelis Aren't Used To - 'Sa’dun Almajnoon,' a production of the Arab-Hebrew Theater of Jaffa, depicts the 1967 war as the watershed between hope and sanity, and madness and despair. (Haaretz+)
- Gilad Shalit, Israel's Most Famous Former Prisoner of War, Has a New Career - Shalit to start working as a banker, will most likely be working in trading division after undergoing training, reports Channel 10. (Haaretz)
- Palestinian Delegation to Travel to U.S., May Meet Trump Officials - The delegation will meet with State Department officials ahead of the Paris peace conference and the submission of a new resolution to the UN Security Council. (Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Facing the Age of Trump Together: Jewish and Muslim Women Build 'Sisterhood' (Debra Nussbaum
Cohen, Haaretz+) Jewish and Muslim women are taking up the urgent challenge of the Trump era
to stand together on issues of common concern, and without demanding unanimity on
Israel-Palestine.
Israel’s responsible adult (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The muezzin’s call for prayer is a nuisance that has to be taken care of, but this matter can be handled through an understanding and a dialogue rather than in a way that will only increase alienation. This is where President Rivlin comes in.
For (And Against) Keith Ellison as the New Democratic Party Chairman (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Asserting that America's Israel policy is influenced by American Jews isn't anti-Semitism, but bringing up Ellison’s past ties with Farrakhan is no mere smear.
Defense Ministry’s glorious zigzagging (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) A senior security source says that despite the ministry’s initial claim, all relevant officials in the defense establishment were aware of the Iranian involvement in the German conglomerate which sells submarines and warships to Israel.
American Jewish Support for Israel Is Eroding, and It's Got Nothing to Do With the Palestinians (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) Israelis are in complete denial about the threat the government-sponsored Orthodox religious establishment poses to Israel’s strategic interests.
Lieberman sharpened his message: Israel does not see eye to eye with Russia regarding the war in Syria (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Another innovation of the Defense Minister: Until now, Israel's spokesmen did not speak for or against President Bashar Assad. However, Lieberman stressed that Israel has no intention of intervening in the Civil War.
Strike in Syria: Is Israel Playing Russian Roulette? (Amos Harel, Haaretz) If reports on the recent bombings in Syria are true, it would appear that Israel considered the target urgent enough and believed Moscow wouldn't object.
Is Syrian retaliation against Israel in the works? (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The latest alleged Israeli strike in Damascus was unusual due to the use of surface-to-surface missiles, likely in order to avoid friction with the Russians. Meanwhile, Assad is gaining confidence thanks to the Russian backing and may be preparing a clash with Israel in the near future.
The Netanyahu Statue: Work of Art or Political Statement? (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Did the Israeli public subconsciously commission the sculpture placed in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, or was the project a lefty gimmick?
**Minister Gilad 'McCarthy' (Haaretz Editorial) Apparently Gilad Erdan expects ordinary citizens to report unusual leftist activity by neighbors corresponding with hostile agents across the sea.
Why Israelis Can't Accept That Climate Change Is to Blame for Fires (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) The Jewish people never recognized the laws of nature.
President Abbas, Assure Us You’re Committed to a Democratic Palestine (Anders Österberg, Haaretz+) When you arrest peace activists for satirical Facebook posts, even longtime supporters of Palestinian independence like us must ask: Do you have the courage for democratic leadership? | Opinion
Abbas is no champion of democracy (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005, but despite his declining popularity, no one has been able to successfully challenge him.
The Good Israeli Drone Operator (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The denial, the self-victimization, the sentimentality, the ignorance and the smugness. This young woman is so all-Israeli, it makes you want to cry.
Israel’s responsible adult (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The muezzin’s call for prayer is a nuisance that has to be taken care of, but this matter can be handled through an understanding and a dialogue rather than in a way that will only increase alienation. This is where President Rivlin comes in.
For (And Against) Keith Ellison as the New Democratic Party Chairman (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Asserting that America's Israel policy is influenced by American Jews isn't anti-Semitism, but bringing up Ellison’s past ties with Farrakhan is no mere smear.
Defense Ministry’s glorious zigzagging (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) A senior security source says that despite the ministry’s initial claim, all relevant officials in the defense establishment were aware of the Iranian involvement in the German conglomerate which sells submarines and warships to Israel.
American Jewish Support for Israel Is Eroding, and It's Got Nothing to Do With the Palestinians (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) Israelis are in complete denial about the threat the government-sponsored Orthodox religious establishment poses to Israel’s strategic interests.
Lieberman sharpened his message: Israel does not see eye to eye with Russia regarding the war in Syria (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Another innovation of the Defense Minister: Until now, Israel's spokesmen did not speak for or against President Bashar Assad. However, Lieberman stressed that Israel has no intention of intervening in the Civil War.
Strike in Syria: Is Israel Playing Russian Roulette? (Amos Harel, Haaretz) If reports on the recent bombings in Syria are true, it would appear that Israel considered the target urgent enough and believed Moscow wouldn't object.
Is Syrian retaliation against Israel in the works? (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The latest alleged Israeli strike in Damascus was unusual due to the use of surface-to-surface missiles, likely in order to avoid friction with the Russians. Meanwhile, Assad is gaining confidence thanks to the Russian backing and may be preparing a clash with Israel in the near future.
The Netanyahu Statue: Work of Art or Political Statement? (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Did the Israeli public subconsciously commission the sculpture placed in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, or was the project a lefty gimmick?
**Minister Gilad 'McCarthy' (Haaretz Editorial) Apparently Gilad Erdan expects ordinary citizens to report unusual leftist activity by neighbors corresponding with hostile agents across the sea.
Why Israelis Can't Accept That Climate Change Is to Blame for Fires (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) The Jewish people never recognized the laws of nature.
President Abbas, Assure Us You’re Committed to a Democratic Palestine (Anders Österberg, Haaretz+) When you arrest peace activists for satirical Facebook posts, even longtime supporters of Palestinian independence like us must ask: Do you have the courage for democratic leadership? | Opinion
Abbas is no champion of democracy (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005, but despite his declining popularity, no one has been able to successfully challenge him.
The Good Israeli Drone Operator (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The denial, the self-victimization, the sentimentality, the ignorance and the smugness. This young woman is so all-Israeli, it makes you want to cry.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.