News Nosh 9.17.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday September 17, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
“Hamas leader in the West Bank, Hassan Yusuf, who has just been released from 22 months of administrative detention, was quick to share in the Jerusalem Post a proposal for a long-term ceasefire. In Israel, as usual, we do not listen. Even 20 years ago, in early September 1997, we did not listen. At that time, King Hussein of Jordan transferred a Hamas proposal for a 30-year hudna with Israel, but we were busy planning to assassinate Khaled Mashaal. More than three years have passed since Hamas fired a bullet or rocket into Israel. Three years in which the one which calls itself the leading resistance organization of the Palestinians has locked its weapon. If, in the coming year, we go into another unnecessary confrontation in Gaza, it will be more because of us than because of them.”
—Alon Ben-David, military affairs reporter and analyst for Channel 10 News, writes in Maariv that Israel chooses to ignore opportunities for peace with Hamas.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
Honenu, a right-wing legal aid organization defending the settler teens suspected of spraying pepper spray in the face of an Arab bus driver because he was Arab, said that the sting operation to arrest them was a provocation. In the 'sting operation,' Israeli buses were parked in the middle of Bat Ayin settlement for an extended period of time in an attempt to draw out the suspects while detectives sat inside.**

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Products for babies and glasses will cost less - Finance Minister Kahlon will cancel tax in coming days
  • The Iranian front - Netanyahu landed in NY after Latin American trip. Goal: To bring about cancellation of nuclear agreement
  • Direct launch  - N. Korea continues to flex muscles, while US increases sanctions
  • The scared kingdom - Highest alert in Britain following attack in subway
  • Tomorrow: High Court to discuss petition against soccer on Sabbath
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • “The US won’t let Iran take control over Syria”
  • Iran returns to the focus // Amnon Lord
  • Special to Israel Hayom: Trump’s holiday greeting: “Melania and I wish you a happy new year; We prayer that we will achieve peace and prosperity”
  • More teachers without a teaching certificate - in the weaker areas (of the country)
  • Police and soldiers in the streets of London: Fear of another attack
  • Our reporter in the north, Adi Heshmonai in a new series of articles: The war in Syria and the affect on the residents of the north
  • Oron Yarden’s brother turns to the people of Israel: “Don’t let the murderer be released”

News Summary:
Foreign news - N. Korea’s missile launch over Japan, the attack on the London subway, and two stabbing attacks in France - took the top headlines of today’s Hebrew newspapers along with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plan to focus on Iran in his meeting tomorrow with US President Donald Trump and in his speech to the UN General Assembly.

Netanyahu plans to tell Trump in their meeting tomorrow at 1PM local on the sidelines of U.N. General Assembly, what he already told the press while he was in Latin America: Scrap or amend the Iran nuclear deal. And if it’s not the former, then he prepared a whole set of demands for the changing the deal, including harsher sanctions and increased supervision. Speaking from New York yesterday, he also warned Iran that Israel "will be forced to take action" to prevent Iran's presence on our borders,” in reference to Syria and Lebanon. Yedioth’s Itamar Eichner wrote that “Netanyahu spent Saturday morning preparing his speech at the UN. He is expected to continue making changes and corrections to the speech until the last minute, including while at the podium, as he has done in previous years.”
 
Quick Hits:
  • Bedouin in Unauthorized West Bank Village Urged to Relocate, Warned of Evictions - Khan al-Amar, located near Ma’aleh Adumim, has become a symbol of the Bedouin settlement in the region against which Israel is battling. (Haaretz)
  • Israel: IAEA Received Info About Suspected Iranian Nuclear Sites but Didn't Inspect Many of Them - Almost all the suspected sites have not been visited by IAEA inspectors – either because of Iran's refusal to grant entry or UN officials' reluctance to confront Iran on the issue. (Haaretz+)
  • **Settler teen indicted for pepper spraying Arab bus driver - Bat Ayin resident, 16, allegedly asked driver if he was Arab before assaulting him outside settlement. (Ynet, Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Prime Minister Netanyahu refused to meet with the Swedish Prime Minister on sidelines of UN General Assembly - Netanyahu did not agree to see Stefan Levon, because of his country's lack of support for Israel in the past. At the same time, he attacked the media, which he said did not properly cover his visit to South America. (Maariv)
  • Israeli consulate in New York closed after white powder, Netanyahu death threat received - The consulate was re-opened and staff allowed to exit once the white subtance had been identified as safe. The PM is arriving in New York this evening ahead of the UN General Assembly. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Israeli Bill Prescribes Jewish Law in Absence of Legal Precedent - The proposal of the so-called 'Nation-State Law' has been submitted as a regular law rather than as a basic law, which has constitutional status. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
  • Coalition: Bill to curtail High Court's powers unlikely to pass - Coalition officials call bill by Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked "good for headlines, not good for the political reality," point out it was not cleared with partners or PM. Left slams bill as anti-democratic. (Israel Hayom)
  • Past, present justices come out against move to bypass High Court rulings - One judge expresses concern legislation allowing the Knesset to pass anew laws struck down by the court 'could lead to the court not being able to fulfill its role and serve as a final gatekeeper against the tyranny of the majority.' (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Canadian billionaire Nathan Jacobson is behind Ari Harow payments - Jacobson, online credit payment mogul, behind payment to 3H Global, company founded by Ari Harow after leaving PMO's office; Jacobson said to have paid over NIS 500,000 for 'consulting' just two days after company was founded. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Dozens of demonstrators protested in front of home of Chief Justice Naor, hundreds near Attorney General’s house - After weeks in which thousands of people to protest against the slow pace of the investigations against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu near the home of Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit in Petah Tikva, the number of demonstrators decreased significantly, to 300. In front of the house of the outgoing High Court president the demonstration by south Tel-Aviv residents against the ruling not to imprison asylum seekers was small. (Maariv)
  • Miri Regev: "There is a small and aggressive elite that attacks me, but the public is with me”; Vowed to overhaul of film industry - The culture minister was hosted on the Meet the Press program and discussed the storm surrounding her not being invited to the Ophir Prize ceremony (Israeli Oscars) and the anti-Semitic post published by Yair Netanyahu. "I do not have to fund undermining the state.” (Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Kiryat Shmona, Sderot to be evacuated in case of military conflict - IDF and the National Emergency Management Authority would evacuate city residents as well as residents of towns near border to protest them from rocket fire and possible infiltration of terrorists.
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman have decided to completely evacuate Kiryat Shmona or Sderot in the case of a military conflict against Hezbollah in the north or Hamas in the south. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel-Mexico ties 'forging ahead,' PM Netanyahu says - In Mexico City, PM Netanyahu asks President Enrique Pena Nieto for 'pardon' for the 'unpardonable lapse' as he seeks to deepen ties; extends invite to Israel to Nieto; 'Next year in Jerusalem.' Leaders also agree to cooperate on space, aviation, communications, water technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship and innovation. (Israel Hayom, Ynet and Haaretz+)
  • West Bank marathon not recognized by int’l race organization - Israeli marathon body accuses international organization of playing politics after excluding West Bank race
  • Running from Israeli town Rosh Ha'ayin to the West Bank settlement of Shiloh, the race cites biblical passages and calls itself the oldest recorded marathon in history. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Giro d'Italia cycling race to open in Israel in 2018 - This will be the first time in 101 years any leg of the sport's Grand Tours will take place outside of Europe; more than 175 of world's best cyclists will arrive in Israel for the race, with hundreds of millions watching across the globe in the biggest sporting event ever held in Israel. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Former IDF general calls for new leadership encouraging unity - Former IDF Manpower Directorate head Maj. Gen. (res.) Hagai Topolanski says trend of 'politicians on the Right and Left getting up every morning to stomp on others' must change for Israel to survive. (Ynet)
  • Ex-IDF general: New fighter benefits must not hurt ideal of 'people's army' - Former head of IDF Manpower Directorate Maj. Gen. (res.) Orna Barbivai comments on recently unveiled benefit plan intended for combat soldiers, expressing both support and trepidation: 'We must not lose the discourse on values on the way to improving the standing of our soldiers.' (Ynet)
  • Thousands take part in race commemorating fallen Druze policemen - IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkott launches annual race, dedicated this year to Sgt. Maj. Ha'il Satawi and Staff Sgt. Maj. Kamil Shnaan, who were murdered in Temple Mount terror attack last July; 'They will remain in our hearts, we will not forget them,' promise members of their families. (Ynet)
  • Hundreds protest violence against women in Israeli Arab village after murder - Marchers were joined by Joint Arab List lawmakers after 35-year-old Hiba Manaa was murdered in the village in broad daylight at the beginning of the week. (Haaretz)
  • Meretz to Vote on Proposal to End Zehava Galon's Tenure as Leader - A party member submitted the proposal to move up primary elections, but Galon is expected to maintain her position at the head of the left-wing party. (Haaretz+)
  • Bereaved mother: 'terrorists don't deserve burial' - After the state revealed that it buried 4 terrorists in secret in the Jordan Valley enemy combatants cemetery, Rina Ariel, the mother of 13-year-old Hallel Ariel, who was murdered last year in her sleep by one of them, expresses her rancor: 'I don't think the terrorists deserve it.' (Ynet)
  • US aviator who helped form Israeli Air Force dies at 94 - Mitchell Flint, a former US Navy fighter pilot, was one of the original members of the Israeli Air Force's first fighter squadron and helped train Israel's first military pilots • "He was proud of what he did until the very end," says son, Michael. (Israel Hayom)
  • Construction of Israeli spacecraft to the moon begins - The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is currently building and assembling the components of SpaceIL's spacecraft, which will be launched to the moon next year. (Ynet)
  • Huge Spike in Number of Israelis 'un-Jewed' by Chief Rabbinate in Past Two Years - Trend appears related to new practice of re-examining and revoking religious status of citizens already recognized as Jewish. (Haaretz+)
  • Israeli (military) court extends detention of injured Palestinian teenagers by 11 days - The detentions of Haitham Hassan Issa Jaradat, 15, from Sair who was shot while allegedly committing a stabbing attack and is hospitalized in serious condition, and Laith Muamer Daraghma, 18, from Tubas, were extended. Neither could attend their court hearings due to their health conditions. An IMEMC report said Daraghma was shot when soldiers clashed with youth in Tubas during a raid operation Thursday, and then abducted him after allowing Red Crescent medics to urgently treat him. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces demolish Palestinian home in Negev for 8th time - Israeli bulldozers raided Umm Qabu village on Thursday morning and demolished a house belonging to Salman Abu Sabileh, whose home was demolished seven times before by Israeli authorities for allegedly lacking difficult-to-obtain building permits. (Maan)
  • Ashrawi slams Israel for burying Palestinian bodies in cemeteries of numbers - Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi released a statement Thursday, saying the move was “a blatant disregard for life and the sanctity of death, and is yet another violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”  Israel announced Wednesday that it had already buried the bodies of four Palestinians (involved in attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces), despite an ongoing appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court by which the families of the slain Palestinians have demanded the bodies be released for proper burial. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces suppress Palestinian peaceful marches in Hebron city - Israeli forces suppressed a peaceful march Friday towards the Old City to protest a recent decision by the Israeli army to extend municipal services to Israeli settlers illegally residing there. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces clash with Palestinian youth near border of northern Gaza - Three Palestinian youths suffered from severe tear gas inhalation on Friday, during clashes with Israeli forces near the border of the northern Gaza Strip. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces detain 2 Palestinians for crossing Gaza border into Israel - Reports said that the two were unarmed and were transferred to the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal intelligence agency. (Maan)
  • Israeli forces suppress Friday march in Kafr Qaddum - Coordinator of the village’s popular resistance Murad Shteiwi said that Israeli forces raided the village and fired rubber-coated steel bullets at the protesters, without causing any injuries. (Maan)
  • Israel detains Palestinian for Facebook post declaring intentions to carry out attack - According to Hebrew media, Suliman al-Natsheh published a photo of himself strapped with an explosive belt accompanied by a post that read, “I joined ISIS and I will bomb Israel tonight.” (Maan)
  • Bitcoin With a Sparkle: Israel Diamond Exchange Launching Diamond-backed Cryptocurrency - The world's biggest diamond exchange said this week it is going to launch a digital currency backed by diamonds in a bid to turn the stones into 'a viable financial instrument.’ (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • PLO marks 35th anniversary of Palestinian Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacre in Lebanon - The massacre took place after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, when Christian Phalangist militias entered the Beirut camp under Israeli military watch to wreak retribution for the alleged assassination of their leader Bachir Gemayel. (Maan)
  • Trump administration backs bill to halt aid to Palestinians - US administration is working to halt financial aid to Palestinians, over Palestinian Authority's long-standing practice of rewarding Palestinian terrorists who have killed Americans and Israelis; 'Peace can never take root in an environment where violence is tolerated, funded and even rewarded,' Trump reportedly told Abbas during their meeting in May. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Palestinian prisoners’ group says it is not being disbanded, contrary to rumors - Activists tell Haaretz there was a major power struggle between the club and Fatah on the one hand, and the Palestinian Authority on the other, but the PA will not be cutting funds. (Haaretz+)
  • Palestinian media freedom organization denounces  Gaza sentencing of female Palestinian journalist battling cancer - The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) also highlighted that the decision was issued in absence of the journalist and without her or her lawyer’s knowledge. According to MADA, Abu Samra’s lawyer Mirvat al-Nahal, who works for the al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, learned of the decision through social media. (Maan)
  • In Boost to Gaza Reconciliation Efforts, Palestinian Factions Meet to Compensate Bereaved Families of Hamas-Fatah Clashes - Hundreds meeting in Gaza on Thursday night as part of reconciliation event based on Sharia law; Fatah’s Mohammed Dahlan has raised $50,000 for each family. (Haaretz+)
  • 2 Hamas fighters die in tunnel collapse in Gaza - Scores of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the vast tunnel networks that lie below the besieged enclave, the ones in the south are largely used for smuggling necessities for Gazans under siege, as well as weapons, and those in the north are for military purposes. (Maan)
  • Rare crab species preserved thanks to closed Israeli military zone in Gulf of Eilat - A strip of beach designated as a closed military zone has become the last refuge for Ocypode cursor, a species of ghost crab which has disappeared from other beaches in the area. (Haaretz+)
  • Ousted Egyptian President Morsi Gets [another] 25-year Jail Sentence in Qatar Spy Case - Morsi is already serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Prosecutor Who Was to Reveal Argentinian Cover-up of Jewish Center Bombing Was Murdered, Investigators Set to Claim - Alberto Nisman was found dead in his apartment the morning before he was to present his report on the deadly 1992 AMIA Jewish center bombing that implicated then-president in a cover-up of Iran's actions as part of a trade deal. (JTA, Haaretz)
  • '200,000 Jews Will Settle Kurdistan': Turkey Turns to Fake News to Discourage Kurdish Referendum - After Netanyahu endorses Kurdish independence, Turkish pro-government outlets launch media blitz about 'secret' Israel-Kurdish deal to settle Kurdish Jews in new state. (Haaretz)
  • White House, Israeli Embassy Strongly Deny Report McMaster Yelled at Israeli Officials - The apparently false report on a right-wing website seems like an attempt to renew a campaign against the national security adviser. (Haaretz+)
  • How 'The Mooch' ended up meeting an Israeli ex-Supreme Court justice - Anthony Scaramucci tweets photo of himself with Dalia Dorner at New York restaurant, sparking speculation about purpose of their meeting. (Haaretz+)
  • Trump Holds Brief, One-sided Call With Jewish Leaders Ahead of High Holy Days - While the holy day phone calls would usually last half an hour with president Obama, Friday's conversation with Jewish leaders only lasted 8 minutes, and this time featured no questions from participants. (Haaretz)
  • Facebook founder shares photos of family Shabbat evening - Mark Zuckerberg posts photos of 'kiddush cup that has been in our family for almost 100 years' as well as Shabbat candles and hallah bread, receiving almost 200,000 likes and over 4,000 shares. (Ynet)


Features:
IDF Releases Definitive Account of '82 Lebanon War. The Most Interesting Part Is What Was Left Out
After 35 years, with the leading figures of the 1982 Lebanon War gone, the IDF is issuing its official history of the conflict. (Amir Oren, Haaretz+)
Needy families in Israel: 'We have no food for the holidays'
Yuval had to desert his army post so he could work and help his family ahead of the High Holy Days. Dolly from Bat Yam, a 46-year-old cancer patient and a mother of six, and Bezalel Cohen and his wife, both disabled, are all dependant on aid groups for food. Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, NGOs across Israel are working overtime to distribute as many food packages to needy families as possible. (Amir Alon, Yedioth/Ynet)
Gideon Levy Palestinians who praised deadly terror attack in song get the full Israeli army treatment
On two consecutive nights soldiers raided the home of Nazzal Abu Kharma, an amateur musician, arresting him in front of his wife and baby son, beating his brother and confiscating his instruments. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
Israeli envoys in Hollywood hope to change perception through magic of TV
Israeli consul-general in LA Sam Grundwerg and Hollywoof mogul Adam Berkowitz head up efforts to pitch Israeli television to US markets in a Tel Aviv conference sponsored by Israeli government; 'Israeli shows, with their diverse, real-life problems and not-quite beautiful casts provide them with new ideas,' explains Alon Aranya, a writer whose adaptation of Israeli series 'Hostages' was picked up by CBS. 'They like the grit.' (Agencies, Ynet)
From the Amazon to China: A look at the 'Jew-ish' groups Israel is trying to bring into the fold
Members of groups with a Jewish connection from Africa, Asia and South America may get a chance to stay longer in Israel, even if they fall short of citizenship. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:
What Hamas’ Leader in Gaza Really Said About War With Israel (Ronit Marzan, Haaretz+) Media sensationalism reinforces the populist 'there's no partner for peace' attitude. Have a closer look at what Yahya Sinwar actually said. 1. “Hamas is not at all interested in war with Israel. The longer the war is postponed, by an hour, a year or years, it serves the Palestinian interest, and it’s better to put it off as long as possible.
**On two fronts: the challenges of the next year can be seen today (Alon Ben David, Maariv) Will Russia agree to accept the new red line drawn by Israel, according to which there will be no production of precise missiles on Syrian soil? And is it like 20 years ago that we will not listen to the voices coming from Gaza? And will the High Holidays (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur period) be the bearer of news again of a rise in tension around the Temple Mount and with it an increase in violence? In recent months Mahmoud Abbas has lost the last inhibitions he still had. He does not believe that the current US administration can serve as a fair mediator between him and Israel, and he is very concerned about the Taylor Force law, which is named after the American student who was killed in the attack in Jaffa. Since the events of the Temple Mount in July [when three Muslim Israeli Arabs killed two Israeli police on the Temple Mount after which Israel put metal detectors on the site and Muslim worshipers refused to come pray - OH], the effective security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority has not returned to what it was. There are no more direct meetings of brigade commanders from both sides and with Shin Bet sources, but only limited coordination through the liaison offices, which further increases the fear of confrontation. Abbas himself is not interested in a violent confrontation in the territories and therefore he is increasing the pressure on Gaza, in the hope that a confrontation will start there, which will cause his two rivals - Hamas and Israel - to bleed. Abbas has already cut about a third of the $1.4 billion he sends to the Gaza Strip annually and he hopes to cut back more by the end of this year. In Israel, they are aware of the significance of this, but for some reason these moves are being watched with inaction. Anyone who listens to Hamas can hear that the organization is at a crossroads today. It looks around and sees that it has no father and mother. Qatar is in crisis with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Turkish aid has narrowed and it is not pleasant for it to be in the embrace of Iran when Iranian people kill its Sunni brothers in Syria. Hamas leader in the West Bank, Hassan Yusuf, who has just been released from 22 months of administrative detention, was quick to share in the Jerusalem Post a proposal for a long-term ceasefire. In Israel, as usual, we do not listen. Even 20 years ago, in early September 1997, we did not listen. At that time, King Hussein of Jordan transferred a Hamas proposal for a 30-year hudna with Israel, but we were busy planning to assassinate Khaled Mashaal. More than three years have passed since Hamas fired a bullet or rocket into Israel. Three years in which the person who calls itself the leading the resistance organization of the Palestinians has locked his weapon. If we go in the coming year into another unnecessary confrontation in Gaza, it will be more because of us than because of them.
Israel and Hezbollah will both fight battle to win hearts and minds in next war (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) In the event of war, Hezbollah will try to achieve what appears like a quick victory, Israeli general says.
Demand to cancel Iran deal is an Israeli spin (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet)  Knowing that US President Trump has no lawful cause to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Tehran, the Israeli political echelon is using his election promise to pressure him to compensate Israel by acting against Iranian presence in Syria.
Subjecting Israel’s nuclear program to the rule of law (Avner Cohen, Haaretz+) The time has come for Israel to handle its most open secret differently
Hysteria over Iran created convenient avenue for corruption (Sever Plocker, Yedioth/Ynet) It’s impossible to understand the unbearable lightness of making submarine purchase decisions, as well as decision-makers’ blindness to suspicious background noises, without seeing the external cause: ‘Iran’—the magic word silencing criticism, discouraging those who raise doubts and justifying moves that violate rules and regulations.
Time bomb: The status of the Arabs of East Jerusalem will lead to an explosion (Carmit Sapir Weitz, Maariv) A new book takes on a task that we have been putting off for 50 years: finding a solution to the dilemma of East Jerusalem residents who live between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Dr. Amnon Ramon's new book, "Residents, Not Citizens" (published by the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Studies), is here to change the  reality of [lack of] research [on the subject]. Ramon is a Senior Research Fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Studies, Deputy Director of the Institute for the Study of the Land of Israel at Yad Ben Zvi, and a senior lecturer at Ashkelon Academic College. His book is the result of a detailed preliminary study focusing on the social and legal status of East Jerusalem Arabs and their incarnations in the last 50 years, and in the wider context - Israeli policy towards them. "Once they thought that politics was orderly, based on goals set by politicians and executioners," says Ramon. "Today this attitude is to all Israeli activity in East Jerusalem, which in large part is built on constant improvisation. The question arises: who is taking care of the residents there? In contrast to Arab Nazareth or Umm al-Fahm located within sovereign Israel, the international community has no recognition of Israeli control and sovereignty in East Jerusalem.”
Israelis Are Living in Paradise – and Denial (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) No other society is living in such a deep state of denial as Israel. That's why there is no chance of change here in 5778.
To the members of the Israeli Film Academy: You may denigrate Israel as much as you wish, but not at our expense (Dr. Chaim Misgav, Maariv) The Academy was registered at the time as a private non-profit organization, making it a hybrid that owes nothing to anyone. On the one hand, public funds flow into its pockets, and on the other hand, there is no real supervision over the way it operates.
Under Trump, Orthodox Jews' profile has never been so high, and their moral standing so low (Samuel Heilman, Haaretz+) The Goldins want Orthodox U.S. Jews to lobby leaders to do more to return their son's body, held by Hamas since 2014. But a community wedded to Trump and Netanyahu won't rock the boat.
Abbas at the UN again (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) Who cares whether Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will give a "moderate" speech at the U.N. next week? His obstructionism with respect to the Middle East peace process is constant.
The prime minister must stop with the double game when it comes to (his son) Yair (Udi Segal, Maariv) Netanyahu has the right to protect his son, but the very fact of dealing with this issue is a testament to the situation that prevails in a place that is meant to run the state. It would be best if he told Yair that it was time he found himself ab apartment and a serious job.
Who needs compulsory military service? (Rotem Knaani, Yedioth/Ynet) It’s time for us to grow up and realize that a smart, rewarding and uncomplex defense establishment will be able to function even without soldiers who have been forced to serve against their will, regardless of whether they are Haredi or secular.
Ben-Gurion Invented the Israeli Right (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) It’s becoming ever clearer that the founder of the state laid down a very dangerous foundation through his desire to return Israeli Jews to former glories.
Perfect political timing (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) The High Court of Justice has moved from a judicial institution to one of eccentric activism. It's not certain the Knesset will pass a new law limiting the court's authority, but it's a start.
In the shadow of the (corruption) affairs, Netanyahu has no intention of giving up the Iranian nuclear program easily (Ben Caspit, Maariv) And also, why was it preferable to close all the investigations and files against the prime minister in return for his retirement from public life - and why this will never happen…The Reuters news agency reported that senior American sources were quoted as saying that Israel was not interested in canceling or suspending the nuclear agreement with Iran, on the contrary. Saudi Arabia, too, the Americans added, believes that the agreement must be preserved. The day before, Netanyahu said in his meeting with the Argentinian President that Trump must cancel the Iran agreement. Who is right, Netanyahu or Reuters? The answer: Both. This progression reveals differences of opinion in the Israeli leadership. The political echelon is almost united in its view that the nuclear agreement with Iran is bad and must be annulled. The security/military/professional echelon thinks otherwise. American officials who spoke to Reuters were accurate. They know that the IDF leadership and the intelligence services in Israel are united in their view that the nuclear agreement with Iran is not ideal and has many shortcomings and faults, but it is a fait accompli that gives Israel, the region and the world a 10 to 15-year window. Removing the nuclear threat for a decade and a half in order to plan, implement and carry out a multi-year plan that emphasizes other issues, no less essential to national security. The IDF knows that canceling the nuclear agreement could do more harm than good: the Iranians can break the rules and carry out a “charge” towards a [military] nuclear program, without the world being able to stop them.
MK Isaac Herzog proposed offering Netanyahu to close all the cases against him if he agrees to forever abandon public life. This proposal got great criticism. Legal experts said it wouldn’t stand up in court. Why should Ehud Olmert go to jail and Netanyahu go home? Despite all this, I think that Herzog's proposal is correct and appropriate. I would have signed this arrangement without thinking twice. Close the files and the investigations not only against Netanyahu, but also the criminal indictment against his wife - on condition that they leave us together, never to return. Why? Because in life, not everything is conducted according to exact scales of justice.
Ben Shapiro at Berkeley: No Riots, but Another Step Toward Legitimizing America’s Alt-right (David Schraub, Haaretz+) Shapiro's views and tone are the closest a Jew can get to membership of the vicious alt-right whose media platform he helped build. He's not worthy of being a free speech warrior-martyr - for liberals or conservatives.
Southern exposure (Gideon Allon, Israel Hayom) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's historic visit to Latin America this week gave him reason to smile, at least for a few days • At every meeting, he was greeted warmly • Even Israeli journalists' questions about domestic matters couldn't spoil his mood.
Right-wing Israeli Lawmaker’s Plan to Coerce Palestinian Departure Is Nothing but a Fantasy (Iris Leal, Haaretz+) Despicable and impossible to describe without using the word 'apartheid,' Bezalel Smotrich's plan is really just a distraction.
Fixing the UN (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) The goals and purposes established by the founders of the United Nations are beyond reach. But a less bad U.N. is, in fact, conceivable.
In Argentina, Netanyahu Jabs Trump Hard on Iran Deal - but at a Safe Distance (Noga Tarnopolsky, Haaretz+) The Iran nuclear deal deadline looming, Buenos Aires was a perfect platform for Israel's PM to blast Iranian terror and send Trump a forceful message too politically awkward to deliver face-to-face.
Is Israel turning its Bedouin citizens into a stateless people? (Orly Noy, +972mag) Israel has been systematically revoking citizenship from its Bedouin citizens without as much as telling them. Is this a harbinger of things to come?
London Attack: Jihadist Terror Is Now a Franchise, Not a Network (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Wannabe terrorists don't need to attend a training camp in Syria or Iraq – they just need access to the internet.
IDF can achieve 'clear, substantial, significant victory' against Hezbollah (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth/Ynet) After end of large-scale 10-day training exercise in northern Israel, top military command says IDF has opened an immeasurable gap in its capabilities compared to the Lebanese terror group and could defeat it in short order if war breaks out. The IDF recognizes Hezbollah has improved its fighting capabilities since the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Over the last three years of its operations in the Syria civil war, Hezbollah has changed from a guerilla organization to a fighting army that uses artillery, relatively high-precision missiles, drones and more.
'Foxtrot' Defies Norms in Highlighting Occupation's Impact on Israeli Society (Raya Mora, Haaretz+) Shmulik Maoz's 'Foxtrot' shouts the tragic cry of contemporary Israeli life: the howl of parents whose soldier son has died, the bellow of a soldier at a checkpoint, the site of the ruination of Israeli identity.
Why young Jews don't trust what their institutions say about Israel (Eliana Fishman, +972mag) Growing up, I found that the Conservative movement embraced nuanced approaches to Torah, yet that critical approach never extended to discussions of Israel. Questioning Zionism was verboten.
Meretz Must Lead by Example When It Comes to Open Primaries (Haaretz Editorial) Despite the limitations of the primary system, it is still the most democratic one for political parties, which is why Meretz must adopt this electoral system when choosing its leaders
When the walls of your home come crumbling down (Sahar Vardi, +972mag) In East Jerusalem, entire families have their homes demolished and are thrown into the street. Just a few miles away, Israelis live without having to worry about losing everything they have.

 
Interviews:
War crimes and open wounds: The physician who took on Israeli segregation
On the occasion of her 80th birthday, Ruchama Marton, the founder of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, talks about the atrocities she witnessed as a soldier, the enduring power of feminism, and why only outside help has a chance of ending Israel’s military rule over the Palestinians. (Interviewed by Alon Mizrahi in +972mag)

 


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