News Nosh 9.20.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday September 20, 2017

Note: News Nosh will then be on holiday Thursday and Friday September 21-22, on Erev Yom Kippur September 29, and during Sukkot October 4-6. APN wishes you a happy new year, Shana Tovah!”
 
Quote of the day:
"One year, six continents. Now, it's true: I haven't yet visited Antarctica, but one day, I hope to go there. I want to go there, too, because I heard that penguins are also enthusiastic supporters of Israel. Now, you laugh, but penguins have no difficulty recognizing that some things are black and white, are right and wrong, and unfortunately, when it comes to UN decisions about Israel, that simple recognition is too often absent."
-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his address to the UN General Assembly


Front Page:
Haaretz Ynet News Times of Israel Israel Hayom i24 News

News Summary:
The fallout from the earthquake in Mexico dominates the headlines. The IDF's Home Front Command will send 50 soldiers to help local teams on the ground. 

Yesterday, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly, and both focused on castigating the Iranian regime and the Iranian nuclear deal. Trump called the nuclear deal an "embarassment to the United States" and threatened to "totally destroy North Korea" unless they backed down from their nuclear challenge. Netanyahu said he had "never heard a bolder or more courageous speech." In his own speach, Netanyahu praised Israel, but also himself for helping Israel "embrace the world" and forge relationships with new countries - possibly a wink at those considering an indictment against him. 

In a break from tradition, the US president didn't mention the Palestinians or the peace process once, and Netanyahu barely paid lip service to Israeli-Arab peace. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will speak today. Meanwhile, the Palestinians are lobbying at the General Assembly for state recognition via membership with Interpol, an intergovernmental organization, representing the police bureaux of 190 states. Israel is campaigning hard to prevent this from happening, both by lobbying member states to reject the bid and urging Interpol leadership to tighten criteria for new members.

 
Quick Hits:
  • Rasmea Odeh will soon be deported to Jordan from Chicago. Odeh pleaded guilty in April to concealing convictions of terrorism when she applied for US citizenship in 2004, which would have prevented her from entering the country a decade earlier.  In 1970, Odeh was convicted of two bombings in Jerusalem, and she was released in a prisoner swap with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in 1979. Read more here.
  • A Times of Israel feature asserts that most Israelis do not believe Prime Minister Netanyahu when he says "there will be nothing, because there is nothing" in the various corruption investigations against him. The article cites a Yedioth Ahronoth survey - published today - which shows that 54% do not believe his claims of innnocence (only 34% do) and 63% believe he should resign if the attorney general brings charges against him. Read more here.
  • The Times of Israel features an article on the increasing - and unexpected - business ties forging between Palestinian engineering firms in Gaza and Israeli high-tech companies. Read more here.
  • "Have Amona 'refugees' found a recipe for post-evacuation success?" Jacob Magid describes how developments have worked out in their favor, and what this means for the larger settler agenda. Read more and watch here.