News Nosh 6.14.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday June 14, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
"Netanyahu invested money in building 29 new yeshivas for settlers, but did not hold one meeting for disabled people in Israel. My idea is that all the disabled will become settlers and move to the Territories. That's how they'll start treating them properly."
--MK Ilan Gil-On (Meretz) said after a panel appointed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opposed a significant increase in disability benefits.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Henriette Qara, 17, murdered yesterday; Odelia Bachar, 27, murdered over the weekend; Maya Goren, 41, murdered Sunday
  • Blood of the murdered women does not scream. It drips slowly and is absorbed into the earth of shameful indifference… // Merav Betito
  • The ultra-Orthodox female pilot of the Prime Minister
  • The suspended commander to his soldiers: “Don’t rebel״
  • Head-to-head: Grossman and Oz are candidates today for the prestigious Man Booker Prize
  • The march of shame: In which city do they park the most in handicapped parking?
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • The experiments on the children of Yemen are revealed – Difficult testimonies of the doctors: This is how we performed exams on the children
  • Department of Medicine to be established at Ariel University
  • The freeze in Judea and Samaria: More construction outside the blocs, less within them
  • Effort to find states that will fund the electricity to the Gaza Strip
  • Crisis at Hadassah Hospital: Doctors didn’t show up to meeting with Health Minister Leitzman, Prime Minister expected to intervene
  • Death of reserve soldier who collapsed during race: Officers who fakes documents in investigation were suspended
News Summary:
The murders of four women in the space of three days, the cry of the handicapped over low disability benefits, and the latest on the Gaza Strip electricity crisis were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, High Court justice Eliyakim Rubinstein resigned after making two rulings in favor of human rights and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu takes off today to Greece for a tripartite meeting of Israeli-Greek Cypriot leaders, during which Culture Minister Miri Regev will take his place. (Maariv)

Yesterday, an 18-year-old Arab girl was found dead with stab wounds in her home and a 63-year-old Jewish woman was found dead in a hotel room - only two days after two other women were murdered, apparently by their partners, totaling 14 women murdered since the start of the year.  Female members of Knesset charged that the police were not doing enough to protect women. “The lives of women are abandoned by the state,” said MK Aida Touma-Souleiman (Joint List).

The news of the murder of Arab girl, Henriette Karra, came shortly before her relative, Judge George Karra, was sworn-in as a High Court Justice. His appointment followed the retirement ceremony yesterday of High Court Justice and former attorney general Elyakim Rubinstein, who marked his departure with rulings in two human rights cases. In one ruling he gave the state nine months to ensure that all of the country’s prisoners have at least three square meters (32 square feet) of living space and at least 4.5 square meters within 18 months. Rubinstein said the present situation was intolerable.
  
*Disabled Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv saying their situation was intolerable, too, after Netanyahu-appointed panel opposed raising disability benefits to equal minimum wage. MK Ilan Gil-On (Meretz) said, "Disabled people need to become settlers in order to get cared for." (Maariv)
 
On the Gaza power crisis, Netanyahu tried to send a message to Hamas that he was not interested in a violent conflict, and that the Israeli reduction of electricity to Gaza at the request of the Palestinian Authority was an internal Palestinian matter. The Palestinian Authority blamed Hamas for the severe power leaving Gazans with between 2-4 hours of electricity a day. Egypt reportedly offered to supply the Strip with electricity if Hamas would handover 17 men it accuses of being involved in terror [probably in Sinai - OH] and make a number of security changes, according to an article in the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper.  
 
Quick Hits:
  • West Bank Rabbi to Stand Trial for Incitement to Violence Against Arabs - Co-author of controversial 'The King's Torah' indicted only after a High Court petition demanded the state press charges against him for inflammatory online writings. (Haaretz+ and Ynet
  • Court extends remand of two out of nine Hilltop Youth suspected of committing racist acts - Two of the Hilltop Youth arrested during a police raid Monday of a Jerusalem house hosting them are suspected of committing racist acts, while seven others are suspected of violating court orders barring them from meeting with certain people. (Ynet
  • Rights groups condemn Israel's lethal use of force against Palestinian protesters - Israeli human rights group B’Tselem released a statement Monday highlighting the case of Saba Abu Ubeid, a 22-year-old Palestinian from the central occupied West Bank district of Salfit, who was shot dead by Israeli forces last month during a protest in the Ramallah-area village of Nabi Saleh. (Maan
  • UN says Israel, Palestinians fail to prosecute war crimes - According to a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report, both Israel and Palestinians have failed to bring perpetrators of alleged war crimes to justice, citing a 'general absence of higher-level responsibility.' (Agencies, Ynet
  • Israeli forces detain Palestinian woman in Hebron for alleged knife possession - Israeli police spokeswoman Luba al-Samri said in a statement that border police officers stationed at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City "noticed a young woman approaching them in a way that aroused suspicion." (Maan and Maariv)
  • Tillerson Says Palestinian Authority Will No Longer Pay Families of Convicted Terrorists - The secretary of state says Palestinians have changed their policy as a result of pressure from the Trump administration. (Haaretz+ and Ynet
  • Israel's Mossad Spy Agency Forming High-tech Investment Fund - The Mossad will invest in startups to gain access to technology. (Haaretz
  • Herzog's rivals say he'll join unity government if reelected Labor leader - Candidates in Labor leadership race and other party officials claim Herzog wants to join the Netanyahu government and become foreign minister in order to promote the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians. (Yedioth/Ynet
  • Attorney General against restricting right to appeal to High Court - During the retirement ceremony of Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit came out against Netanyahu's plan to limit the filing of petitions to only people directly involved and said: "I will do everything to protect the power of the High Court." (Maariv)
  • Director of Al Jazeera in Israel: "If they try to close us we will petition the High Court of Justice" - Walid al-Omari responded to reports that Netanyahu was considering closing the station in Israel: "How can you claim that you are part of the democratic world?" On network problems in Arab countries, he said: "It's because we deal with what matters." (Maariv
  • Right-wing extremists demanded the closure of the Al-Jazeera TV station in Israel  - “Go to Qatar” - Michael Ben-Ari, Baruch Marzel and Ben-Zion Gopstein, arrived at the channel's offices in Jerusalem Tuesday evening with iron chains and demanded to close the bureau on the spot, calling out to one worker that "every dog gets its day” [meaning, he will die. Note: The employees in the bureau are almost all Arab Israelis – OH] (Maariv)
  • Israel holds earthquake drill in schools, at Knesset - Students and teachers drill evacuating buildings quickly as rescue forces at the Knesset practice extraction from building's fifth floor with zip lines, ropes and ladders; 'Preparedness is the key to minimizing casualties,' President Rivlin says after participating in drill himself. (Ynet
  • Under specter of fake news and Russian hacking, Israel debates cyberthreats to election process - Israeli lawmakers voice concern about insufficient protection of vote-counting systems, distorted items disseminated via social media. (Haaretz+) 
  • Mea Shearim: IDF soldier attacked, saved by Haredi man - A Golani soldier who went on holiday and asked to buy books in Mea Shearim was attacked by dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The person who rescued him was a member of an anti-Zionist faction, who led him to safety. (Yedioth/Ynet
  • Reservists request transfers in protest of commander's dismissal - Ten reservists have already requested a unit transfer and some twenty additional soldiers are expected to follow suit as a result of Maj. Manny Eitan's removal for refusing an order. Eitan: '"Two years ago they wanted me to be a battalion commander, and now to dismiss me because I said something is not safe. We are talking about safety.' (Ynet
  • The missing: Netanyahu and Yair Lapid are among the MKs who missed the most meetings in the plenum - Together with Deputy Minister Mazuz and MK Amar, the Prime Minister and Chairman of Yesh-Atid, are at the top of the list of absences, yet the Ethics Committee did not see fit to punish them. (Maariv)
  • Israeli restrictions on Palestinian's family reunification permits extended - MKs cite security concerns, increased involvement of Palestinians who enter Israel on reunification permits in recent security escalation. Amendments to naturalization, residency, visitation reviewed annually. High Court says measure proportionate. (Israel Hayom)
  • Netanyahu, Litzman to meet with resigning Hadassah doctors - The prime minister and health minister get involved in an effort to resolve a crisis at the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department in Hadassah after six doctors resigned, leaving it with almost no physicians to treat the sick children; Netanyahu: 'The goal is to find a solution soon.' (Ynet)
  • Israel and New Zealand end diplomatic crisis sparked by anti-settlement resolution - Israel to return ambassador to Wellington after New Zealand PM expresses regret for damage caused by country’s sponsorship of UN resolution. (Haaretz+ and Ynet))
  • Swedish airline SAS to relaunch direct flights to Eilat - Some 15 years after direct flights from Stockholm to the Red Sea resort town stopped because of the Second Intifada, the route is now recommencing. Israeli Tourism Ministry and Eilat hotels are offering incentives to airlines to bring in tourists.
  • (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel advised London authorities on fighting urban terrorism - Mayor Sadiq Khan says he sought counsel from Israeli officials; new measures were implemented based on these and other conversations. (JTA, Haaretz
  • Israeli Arab, Wounded in Battle Over Mosul, Convicted of Joining ISIS - Defendant's wife was already sentenced to four years in prison after the couple and their children returned from Iraqi battle zone to Israel. (Haaretz+) 
  • Despite conflicts, Middle East research center to launch in fall - SESAME project brings together scientists from Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Pakistan and Palestinian Authority in rare collaboration already hailed a success • Project aims to boost scientific discovery and open window to better future. (Israel Hayom)
  • Warren Buffett to Tout Investing in Israel Bonds - The billionaire businessman calls the purchase of bonds 'a sound investment and a deserved endorsement of a remarkable country.’ (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
WATCH 'New Voices From Palestine': Powerful Panel From Haaretz Peace Conference
Who says there's no Palestinian partner? Four young Palestinians have something to say to Israelis. (Haaretz
Conscientious and full of compassion: Justice Elyakim Rubinstein is completing his term
The vice-president of the Supreme Court (gave) his final two judgments at the retirement ceremony. He lost his daughter to cancer and has 14 grandchildren. The story of someone who gave courageous rulings. (Mor Shimoni, Maariv
A Closer Look at the $125 Million Jewish International Aid Industry
What used to be a handful of groups has grown to become a constellation of organizations working from Rwanda to Nepal. Together, the groups aid millions of people. (JTA, Haaretz)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
American Jews Have Enabled Israel’s Occupation. Now We Must End It (Yonah Lieberman, Haaretz+) The U.S. Jewish community's support for the occupation has been critical for its brutal longevity. But it has also led to American Jews' moral erosion. 
Jewish terrorism is rearing its head again (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) After two relatively quiet years, a collaboration between radical Yitzhar settlers and groups of teens living in outposts in the Binyamin region has led to the renewal of violent attacks against Palestinians, left-wing activists and members of the security forces. If the political echelon and settler leadership fail to act soon, Shin Bet officials warn, a second Duma murder is only a matter of time.
Thus Haaretz legitimized a pro-apartheid lawmaker (Zehava Galon, Haaretz+) Where are the red lines of our camp? If even explicit calls for transfer and a tyrannical regime over the Palestinians are not a red line, then what is? 
After 11 years of siege, Israel is Hamas' only lifeline (MK Ksenia Svetlova, Maariv) If Israel succeeds in exploiting Hamas' unique situation, it will be possible to end its rule in the Gaza Strip and change the complicated Gaza equation. 
Israel Is Far From Innocent in Gaza Strip's Power Crisis (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) Granted, the Palestinians’ political schism are worsening the Strip’s humanitarian crisis. But it is Israel that denies freedom of movement by land, sea and air to over 2 million Gazans. 
Leah, Sara, and the storm (Itamar Eichner, Yedioth/Ynet) A post written by Noa Rothman about the difference between her grandmother Leah Rabin and Sara Netanyahu provokes hundreds of reactions, including scolding and slander against the late prime minister and death threats to his granddaughter.
Israel in Talks With Egypt, EU in Bid to Solve Gaza Electricity Crisis (Amos Harel, Haaretz) Netanyahu and Israeli military leaders believe that even though 2 million Gazans now get only 4 hours of electricity a day, the situation is under control and Hamas still prefers to avoid military clash.
Netanyahu Government's Latest Instance of 'Shooting the Messenger' (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu's new draft bill wants not just to obligate human rights NGOs to report donations from 'foreign state entities,' but to impose a sweeping prohibition on them. 
In Broken code: Prof. Asa Kasher ignores the damage that will be caused to the various academic practices (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) Will the new rules of ethics also apply to the teachers in yeshivot, where morality does not affect their declarations? Or is it just for cleaning the colors of the Left-wing from academia?
Israel, Democracy Dies in Daylight (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The Palestinian occupation has infected Israel with dangerous viruses that have long incubation periods but cause deadly disease. 
On Occupation: The Difference Between Protest and Boycott (musicians Achinoam Nini (Noa) and Gil Dor, Haaretz+) We won't perform in the settlements, but we'll be glad to come to them for a discussion with the residents about Israel's future
Abbas' fake concession (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) President Donald Trump will soon discover that his hopes for the "ultimate peace" deal will be dashed on the rocks of Palestinian evasion and recalcitrance. 
No, Maestro, the Holocaust Did Not Create Israel (Einat Wilf, Haaretz+) Daniel Barenboim is a Zionism denier. Zionism denial is the claim he raised in his opinion piece saying that Israel exists because of the Holocaust. 
Striking the right balance (Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, Israel Hayom) Once the three prongs of pressure -- less electricity, lower salaries, reduced economic aid -- impact life in a tangible manner, the Gaza Strip will become far more combustible.
What Palestinians Can Teach Jews About Saving Israel (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) What I'm about to say will be grossly unfair. But if young people don't find ways to fix this ungodly mess they had no hand in making, 'Death to Israel' will definitely begin at home. It already has. 

 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.