News Nosh 12.18.17

APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday, December 18, 2017
 
Quote of the day:
"Allow us to question, allow us to doubt and allow us to hear others, even if we disagree...We are opinionated and concerned youth who want to dream of peace. Please don’t take away our dream. Do not underestimate the value of knowing the other, do not harm democracy."
--Students at a Nesher high school wrote to the Ministry of Education to protest the Ministry's cancellation of a meeting for bereaved parents—both Jewish and Palestinian - at the school.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
11,000 Arab teachers are waiting for placements by the Education Ministry, which has a shortage of teachers. Many educated Arab teachers wait over a decade for a job, Haaretz+ reports.**

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Teva Blow (Photo of adults and children holding signs protesting the dismissals at Teva Pharmaceuticals
  • Work is our life // Nahum Barnea
  • Who are you Karr Schultz? Profile of Teva CEO
  • “Rothschild of the right-wing” // Yoaz Hendel
  • Israel is drying out
  • ‘Like’ from Zuckerberg: The Israeli youth who got a prize from Facebook
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
  • Rearguard battle - Teva employees went on strike yesterday at the factories across the country and went out to protest against the dismissals
  • Enormous demonstrations in the Muslim world against the Trump declaration on Jerusalem
  • Hanukkah miracle in a community near the Gaza Strip: Rocket hit wall of house causing light damage only
  • Five years prison to attackers of teachers
  • Indictment: Heads of crime organizations made sure to eliminate prosecution witnesses
Israel Hayom

 

News Summary:
The country went on strike in solidarity with dismissed employees of the collapsing Teva Pharmaceuticals company, two rockets were shot into Israel from the Gaza Strip as Muslim people and countries around the world protested the Trump Declaration, and two crime bosses are to be indicted for the murder of a state witness making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

The photos of the angry and desperate unemployed Teva company employees blocking roads, carrying protest signs and burning tires were similar to the photos of Palestinians demonstrating against US President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and against the occupation and its many manifestations, but without the stones, the Border Police and IDF soldiers, the guns, the wounded and the dead. Of the thousands of Palestinians wounded and the eight killed by Israeli forces since Trump’s declaration almost two weeks ago, only one killing has raised Israeli eyebrows (and the world’s). Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a legless Gazan activist, who was a regular protester at the Gaza Border fence, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier, probably from a tower on the border fence. Hours before he was killed on Friday, Abu Thuraya was photographed and filmed in a video clip being pushed on a wheelchair toward the border fence, then holding a Palestinian flag on the ground near some burning tires and speaking about Jerusalem. Footage filmed after he was shot showed him being pushed while slumped in his wheelchair and then carried away, the Jerusalem Post wrote in a lengthy report with photos and video. “IDF officials said soldiers were instructed, according to the rules of engagement, to shoot main instigators only in the lower body area,” The Jerusalem Post wrote. On Sunday, the IDF said it had opened an investigation into the killing of Abu Thuraya.

And the rockets from Gaza keep flying at Israel. Two were fired Sunday, one exploded in the front yard of an Israeli home near the Gaza Strip and the other exploded in a nearby open area. (IDF planes retaliated by attacking six Hamas targets late last night. Israel says Hamas is trying to stop the rockets, nevertheless, Israel holds Hamas responsible.)
 
In Trump Declaration-related news: Tthe UN Security Council will vote today on a draft resolution written by Egypt, which seeks to nullify any decision that would change the status of Jerusalem. The US is expected to veto the resolution, for which Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked Trump ‘for defending the truth on Israel.’ US Vice President Mike Pence arrives Wednesday and won’t be meeting Palestinians or visiting churches. (They don't want him.) The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah movement has called for “angry protests in Jerusalem to coincide with the visit of US Vice President Mike Pence and to protest against Trump's decision.” Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said he intends to open a Palestinian embassy in East Jerusalem. It was not clear how he would carry out the move, as Israel controls all of Jerusalem and calls the city its indivisible capital. Indonesian clerics have called for boycott of US products over the Jerusalem declaration as some 80,000 people rallied in Jakarta in the 10th straight day of protests. While Israel Culture Minister Miri Regev has prepared a $70-million plan to uncover, preserve and develop Jewish historical sites in E. Jerusalem. “This is the best response to those denying our bonds to Jerusalem and the best implementation of the Trump declaration,” Regev said. Interestingly, despite recognition, the Israeli government has been hesitant to relocate government ministries to Jerusalem, according to the State Comptroller. And strangely, a Nigerian stabbed Danish journalists in Gabon, allegedly citing Trump's Jerusalem move as his motive. Go figure.
 
Quick Hits:
  • EU Report on Settlements: 8,000 New Homes Advanced in First Half of 2017 - Homes in the pipeline could accommodate some 30,000 new settlers in West Bank, East Jerusalem; new settlement of Amihai, retroactive legalization 'worrying' developments. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel's Governing Coalition Expected to Back Bill Ordering Death Penalty for Terrorists - Bill sponsored by Yisrael Beiteinu would allow military courts to sentence a terrorist to death even if the decision is not unanimous. (Haaretz and Maariv)
  • Cabinet challenges court ruling on withholding terrorists' bodies - High Court rules that the state has no legal right to keep terrorists' remains as bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges. Court gives state six months to revise legislation. Family of soldier whose body is held in Gaza: Cabinet capitulated to Hamas. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel's Governing Coalition to Advance Nation-state Bill That Subordinates Democracy to Judaism - Knesset will take a preliminary vote on a bill which would make Israel's democratic character secondary to its Jewish character. (Haaretz+)
  • Billionaire James Packer testifies he gave Netanyahu gifts, says Milchan asked for help - The Australian businessman reportedly told police that he 'happily gave gifts' to the Israeli premier, 'many times per his and his wife Sara's request.’ (Haaretz)
  • Amid Netanyahu Probes, Israeli Opposition Tries to Push Bill Forcing Indicted Premiers to Resign - Netanyahu backed identical legislation back in 2008, when then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was under investigation. If passed, the bill will only come into force after the next election. (Haaretz+)
  • (Shas leader and Interior Minister) Deri denies threatening to quit government over ‘Supermarkets Bill' - Interior minister claims his legislation—which would give him the authority to cancel municipal bylaws, including ones permitting some businesses to open on Shabbat—is not religious coercion: 'socially speaking, you are turning everyone, mostly the weaker parts of the population, into a nation of slaves.'  (Ynet)
  • IDF to investigate fatal shooting of paraplegic Palestinian rioter [sic-demonstrator] - Ibrahim Abu Thraya, 29, was killed during a riot near the Israel-Gaza Strip border, sparked by the U.S.'s Dec. 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus says inquest is expected to take several days. (Israel Hayom and Times of Israel)
  • Druze soldier beaten into unconsciousness by fellow servicemen, family says - Family of Druze soldier accuses two fellow soldiers of assaulting him, then beating him again for refusing to keep silent; family accuses base commander of failing to have soldier taken to hospital nor disciplining two attackers; IDF: 'CID investigation underway.' (Ynet and Maariv)
  • IDF arrests 2 for attacking Druze soldier - Grandfather of the Druze soldier, who was beaten until unconscious last week on his base in northern Israel by fellow soldiers, says 'this isn't the army I served in 30 years ago.'  (Ynet)
  • *Students protest canceling of (Israeli-Palestinian) bereaved parents meeting - Student at a Nesher high school write to Education Ministry requesting rescheduling of meeting for bereaved Jewish, Palestinian parents: 'Allow us to question, to doubt, to hear others, even if we disagree.' (Ynet)
  • Doctors from the Gaza Strip trained in emergency medicine at the Center for Medical Simulation - In the background of the renewed tension in the south, eight Doctors from the Gaza Strip entered Israel for a 3-day medical training. The goal of the training, organized by the Physicians for Human Rights Israel organization, the Faculty of Medicine in Tel Aviv, and the Center for Medical Simulation was to improve expertise of emergency room doctors. 16 were accepted, but only 8 received permits. (Maariv, p. 8 and Physicians for Human Rights Israel website)
  • **11,000 Arab Teachers in Israel Unemployed While Jewish Schools Face Teacher Shortage - Many educated Arab teachers wait over a decade for to be offered a position. In the meantime, they work without proper benefits, salaries or job security. (Haaretz)
  • Israel Appoints Druze Officer as New Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories - Brig. Gen. (res) Kamil Abu-Rukun, 58, who currently heads the Defense Ministry’s land border crossing authority, will replace Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai in the spring. (Haaretz and Maariv)
  • Israel Arrests Palestinian Carrying Pipe Bombs at West Bank Military Court - The man was arrested at the entrance to the Samaria Military Court in the West Bank after Border Police spotted explosive devices hidden in the coat he was wearing. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Israel to Grant Temporary Residency to 300 More Asylum Seekers From Darfur - New step, which follows similar move for 200 Sudanese in June, provides all the rights and benefits of refugee status; an estimated 2,300 Darfurians have submitted asylum requests to stay in Israel. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • Experts fear dangers faced in Rwanda by expelled asylum seekers - With the government paying asylum seekers $3,500 to leave Israel for Rwanda, experts say policy merely makes them targets for exploitation and robbery, argue 'Israel is violating UN refugee charter.' (Ynet)
  • China's Foreign Ministry Initiated Upcoming Israeli-Palestinian Meeting in Beijing - In bid to raise country’s profile in Middle East, China’s foreign minister, deputy to meet on weekend with teams led by Nabil Shaath, presidential adviser on international affairs, and Zionist Union MK Hilik Bar. (Haaretz+)
  • Former Israeli Minister Stas Misezhnikov begins serving 15-month jail term - Misenzhnikov was convicted of breach of trust after he admitted to have asked organizers of a festival that his ministry allocated millions for to hire his girlfriend. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • At 90, Israeli feminist pioneer wonders if women can ever have it all - A documentary set to debut next week at the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival takes a look at the life of Alice Shalvi, the founder of the first Israeli lobby group for women. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel's 'Foxtrot' Gets Shortlisted for Oscar's Best Foreign Language Film - The film, which focuses on the Israeli military among other themes, sparked political controversy in Israel despite the fact that it has been hailed worldwide. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel to Hire ultra-Orthodox for 7 Percent of All Civil Service Jobs Over Next Three Years - With a growing number academic degree-equipped Haredim entering the workforce, the government seeks to create more employment opportunities. (Haaretz)
  • The 34th killed man: 28-year-old (Palestinian) construction worker was killed after a dirt mound collapsed on him in Beit Shemesh
  • The price of blood paid by laborers in Israel continues to rise. Faris Ibrahim Jamal Bardaiyeh, of the Palestinian village of Surif, fell into a pit five meters deep and was buried under a collapsed mound of earth. MDA personnel who arrived at the scene were forced to declare him dead, and firefighters used special equipment to extract him. The police and the Ministry of Labor are investigating the accident, and three were detained for questioning. Three other construction workers were injured today in construction sites in Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak and Rishon Letzion. (Maariv and Haaretz Hebrew)
  • Putin's Beloved German Teacher Dies Aged 96 in Tel Aviv - Mina Juditskaja Berliner was so revered by Putin that he gifted her a Tel Aviv apartment in 2005. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • As Canada's Jewish Community Mourns, Sherman Family Slams Police for 'Murder-suicide' Rumor - Jewish leaders in Toronto call suspicious deaths of billionaire couple Barry and Honey Sherman a tragedy of epic proportions. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • Head of Hungary’s Nationalist Jobbik Party Denounces Party’s Past anti-Semitism - Jobbik is the strongest opposition group but far behind Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party in the polls ahead of April’s election. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Austrian government refers to Israel as Jewish state for first time - PM Sebastian Kurz's new government platform also states Austria's commitment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process based on the two-state solution. Move seen as major policy shift. For first time, Vienna also recognizes culpability in the Holocaust. (Israel Hayom)
  • New Austrian foreign affairs minister compared Zionism to Nazism - Karin Kneissl, new Austrian minister of foreign affairs appointed by far-right Freedom Party, holds conflicting views on Israel: while she speaks Hebrew, studied at Hebrew University, she previously compared Zionism to German nationalism; Israel yet to comment on new coalition government, possibly waiting for US, European response. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel to Debate Official Response to Party With Nazi Past in Austria's New Government - When the Freedom Party, which has Nazi roots, joined Austria's ruling coalition in 2000, Israel delivered a strong response. But the leadership isn't quick to issue condemnations this time around. (Haaretz)
  • Iran's state TV shows researcher confessing to espionage - Iranian researcher confesses to spying on Iranian nuclear scientists who were later assassinated, says he did so for citizenship in foreign state. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Egyptian military court sentences 14 to death over 2015 Alexandria attacks - The fourteen were charged with attacking government buildings, planning to kill public figures and security officials, and joining the Muslim Brotherhood. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Saudi crown prince reportedly buys 'world's most expensive home' amid corruption crackdown - Mohammad bin Salman has been waging a fight against corruption back home in Riyadh, but it appears he's making grand real-estate purchases overseas. (Haaretz)
  • WATCH Saudi Arabia Ushers in Hollywood With a Little Help From John Travolta - Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinemas last Monday, prompting celebrations from film fans, industry professionals and movie chains. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • The Saudi newspapers gave their readers a lesson in Zionism - A change of trend in the Saudi media? Surprisingly, the newspapers in the kingdom actually hampered the reports of the clashes in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem following the US declaration about the Western Wall being part of Israel under a final agreement. (Maariv)
  • Saudi-led airstrike kills 10 women after bombing a wedding procession in Yemen - Witnesses say the bride was among the women, but it was not immediately clear whether she was killed. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Palestinian billionaire Sabih al-Masri released by Saudis after surprising arrest, sources say - The arrest of al-Masri, who heads Jordan's Arab Bank, came amid the biggest purge of the Kingdom's affluent elite in its modern history. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Fake News Machine Turns Against ISIS - Sunni hacker groups have turned their keyboards against the fundamentalist militant organization. The hashtag used: #SilenceTheSwords. (Calcalist English)
  • Exiled Italian King's Remains Repatriated From Egypt, Sparking Jewish Community Criticism - Jewish community leaders criticized the decision to return the remains of Victor Emmanuel III to Italy, citing the king's role as an accomplice of the Fascist regime. (Haaretz)


Features:
'They took over like ISIS': Religious war in West Bank town shows not all Jewish settlers were created equal
The standoff between secular and religious settlers in this isolated community (at Migdalim settlement) would have gone unnoticed had it not escalated into a deadly altercation in the nearby Palestinian village of Qusra (where a settler shot dead a Palestinian farmer during a bar-mitzvah hike). (Hilo Glazer, Haaretz+)
The ever-increasing melting pot of the IDF
Cpls. Amir Rav'e, a Muslim Arab, Netanel Mengistu, from an Ethiopian immigrant family from Migdal Haemek, and Jesse Amar from Australia, all fought to serve as combat soldiers in the IDF. (Yoav Zitun, Ynet)
Decades After Fleeing, Iraqi Jews Plan to Return to Their Homeland
With the number of bombings down in Baghdad, some Iraqi Jews in places like London and Israel are applying for passports — amid welcoming signs from the other side. Londoner Edwin Shuker is one of them. He bought a new house in northern Iraq and became, as far as is known, the first Jew in decades to buy a home in that suffering land. “It was mainly a symbolic act that turns me from just a tourist into a man who wants to settle in Iraq,” he said. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
1928-2017 The Jewish Immigrant Who Brought 250 Doctors From Abroad to Southern Israel
In 1953, a young doctor, Chaim Doron, immigrated from Argentina to Kibbutz Gvaram. Later in his life, he helped found the Be'er Sheva Medical School, and helped design the Israeli healthcare system. Last month, he passed away at age 89. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
The Jerusalem museum where evangelicals go to feel good about themselves
The Friends of Zion Museum has attracted some 150,000 visitors since opening in 2015. Its founder reportedly played a large part in pushing Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Austria's Far-right Foreign Minister a Tough Critic of Both Israel and Muslim World
She was raised in Amman, fell in love with a Lebanese Christian, and studied at Hebrew University. Karin Kneissl's voice found a home in Austria's far-right party, and will be prominently heard in the new Austrian government to be sworn in Monday. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The Israeli Military First Took His Legs, Then His Life (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) On Friday, a sharpshooter shot and killed Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a Gazan double amputee, as he protested from his wheelchair near the Israeli border.
The March of Shame: The organized left-wing demonstrations sponsored by Meni Naftali and Eldad Yaniv (Sarah Beck, Maariv) When you expose the true face of the organizers of the demonstration in Tel Aviv, you can only compliment them on one thing: they chose an appropriate name for their empty show…This year we were privileged to see another Hanukkah menorah: political-historical.  Benjamin Netanyahu, with the help of American evangelicals who served as the sun, "lit" Donald Trump on the subject of Jerusalem…The light slowly strips away the darkness, that is, the Palestinian lie about the unbroken connection between them and our capital, even though in our many years of exile Jerusalem has never been recognized as the capital of any Muslim ruler. But there are those among us who do not share in the light of this political-historical menorah. I was shocked to read the words of Meretz Chairman Zahava Gal-On, who expressed regret over the stabbing attack at the central bus station in Jerusalem, but hastened to add: "You can not pretend that the current wave of escalation is cut off from the Trump Declaration." In other words, according to Gal-On, if the descendants of 75 generations who dreamed about the return to Zion ever since the destruction of the Second Temple have finally gotten recognition of their right to their capital by the strongest country in the world, so this achievement must be dispensed with because it might upset some young, hot-headed youth with knives.
The demonstration for and against - The "Rotschild (Blvd.) of the right-wing (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth) This coming Saturday night I'm going to demonstrate, not in Tel-Aviv, but in Jerusalem. Not 'against,' but 'for.' For the rule of law, for checks and balances in the State of Israel. For the battle against corruption wherever it is. I admit that the (weekly) demonstration at Rothschild (Boulevard in Tel-Aviv against Netanyahu and government corruption) pushed me in a corner. It's easy to oppose the messages of the demonstrations in Petach Tikvah (outside the home of the Attorney General). I trust the Attorney General and his system that they do their work properly, no matter what the results...I also trusted the Police Commissioner from the first day that Netanyahu and (Public Security Minister Gilad) Erdan appointed him...Rabbi Yuval Cherlow and his participation in the demonstration (at Rothschild) two days ago caused me to think about what I am doing. It's apparently the power of one rabbi. I have a problem with the demonstrations on Rothschild. It's not the signs against the occupation or the sign in favor of BDS, I know that thousands of people can be stained because of a few extremists...It's also not the harsh calls, in my view, to jail the Prime Minister, or the surreal statement by Eldad Yaniv that Netanyahu will go to war in order to avoid the investigations and their results. It's the general atmosphere that prevents me from being there. The demonstrators at Rothschild claim they are against corruption. So am I. But the atmosphere is both: a political demonstration against Netanyahu and the Likud and against corruption...My place is not there, but my place must be somewhere. Somewhere that the right-wing speaks against corruption. Someplace where it is possible to be in favor of settlements and in favor of the institutions of the state...Therefore, my demonstration on Saturday night will be in support of the State of Israel and also in support of settlements in it, in support of the IDF and its senior commanders and in support of the police, the investigative teams and the Police Commissioner, in support of the prosecutors and the judicial system. In support of limitations of power, in favor of stateliness without which there is no state. ...In conclusion, forget the conspiracies and the interests: I didn't get these values from the media, but from Elkana (settlement) in my parents' home, in Bnei Akiva (religious scouts) and in my army service...
The 'media tribe' still spins (Amnon Lord, Israel Hayom) The gatekeepers of democracy, despite their delusional hatred of the prime minister, must still be expected to muster a modicum of proportionality and commonality.
Trump Administration Adds Fuel to the Fire Accompanying Mike Pence's Israel Visit (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Mike Pence's visit to the Western Wall this week adds religious significance to Trump's Jerusalem announcement. Palestinians already declared additional days of rage in Jerusalem in the West Bank. Hamas is working to curb Gaza rocket fire.
No one has trampled Palestinian hopes for a state like their leadership (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) In their responses to Trump's declaration, Palestinian officials and their Arab and Muslim supporters made all the possible mistakes. No one has humiliated the Palestinian cause as they did at the (OECD) conference in Istanbul. According to diplomats at the UN, the Palestinians have shaken and undermined the base of sympathy for their issues at the UN and damaged their image of being "weak,” which has played a role in their favor. "At the end of the day, Trump left the status of Jerusalem quite vague and subject to changes in the negotiations. Instead of exploiting this fact, demonstrating restraint and behaving politically wisely to formulate a response that was a challenge and a serious test for Israel and the White House, the Palestinians chose their old and well-known response - demonstrations and violence,” said a senior Western diplomat.
U.S. Liberal Jews Read It Wrong. Trump's Call on Jerusalem Was Good for the Peace Camp (Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) The pro-peace, pro-negotiations, two-state camp consensus in Israel welcomed Trump's Jerusalem move. That shows it was no sell-out to Netanyahu and the Israeli right-wing - and that Palestinian rejectionists can't wish historical realities away.
Abbas and Jerusalem (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Abbas presents Jerusalem as a Christian/Muslim city whose only connection to Jews is that they are defiling it. If these are his views, what chance is there for a successful negotiation?
How Mike Pence's Mideast Trip to Help Embattled Christians Evolved Into a Visit Devoid of Christians (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+) Pence originally said his trip to Israel and Egypt was envisioned as a show of solidarity with persecuted Christians. So why isn't there a single Christian on his itinerary?
Demonstration of intent (Yaakov Ahimeir, Israel Hayom) Most notable about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's Middle East trip next week will be where it does not take him – to Ramallah or Bethlehem.
Under Pressure, Egypt's Suffering Christians Reluctantly Reject VP Pence as a Savior (Jacob Wirtschafter in Cairo, Haaretz) 'Where are you guys? Muslim students are noticing you aren’t joining in': How Trump's Jerusalem move put Egypt's Christians, already under jihadist attack, on the defensive about their loyalties, while VP Pence, 'champion' of Christians, won't be meeting them.
Is Netanyahu’s coalition on the verge collapse? (Moran Azulay, Yedioth/Ynet) The public atmosphere, the anti-corruption protests and the investigations against the prime minister and his associates are completely disrupting the coalition’s work; smelling elections in the air, the ministers are trying to appeal to the public with different benefits and statements.
The Israeli governing coalition's near-death experience in the Shabbat wars (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) As Netanyahu's government was jolted by one shock after another this week, Defense Minister Lieberman assumed a lead role in the drama, displaying brinkmanship that could have ended badly.
The Missed Opportunities Orchestra Proceeds to Drown Out Palestinian Voices (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) The truth is that the dominant stream of the Zionist movement crushed and continues to crush Palestinian nationalism.
Let's stop lying: The Association for Civil Rights in Israel is an extreme leftist organization (Karni Eldad, Maariv) I have never heard him denounce the attempted murder of Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria every day, but they will put their heads on the issue of the rights of terrorists to study at the university.
Listen to Elizabeth Warren: Antitrust Action Is the Path to a Better Society (Guy Rolnik, Haaretz) Reforming taxes, health care and education isn’t enough. Social change in the United States needs a curbing of the corporate giants' vast power.
Strike back at Gaza with force (Itai Levy, Yedioth/Ynet) An Israeli living in a Gaza vicinity town appeals to PM Netanyahu to do his duty in defending the communities near the border from the almost daily rocket barrage from the strip, pleading 'don't let the trickles become a downpour.'
Teva as a parable (Tzvia Greenfield, Haaretz+) There is no better parable for Israel, which has all the characteristics necessary for prosperity, but is preoccupied with endless shenanigans instead of adopting the only course of action that could really save it.
Teva Relied on Perks From the Israeli Government, and Now It’s Done For (Eytan Avriel, Haaretz+) Israel's political and corporate leadership keeps saying they want a capitalist economy, but when a crisis erupts, everyone clamors for a return to kibbutz socialism.
A Jewish Resurrection Story - and Its Startling Price (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Destroyed by the Nazis, disbanded by the Soviets, reborn in pre-state Israel: The story of the last of the rabbis who led the reinvention of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva culture and its exponential, but untenable, growth.
 
Interviews:
'Trump should've pushed peace plan with Jerusalem move'
While President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was appropriate, it should have been accompanied by his overall peace plan, former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro says. (Interviewed by Attila Somfalvi and Adi Rozenberg in Ynet)

Our man on Al-Jazeera
In Israel he is maybe not very well-known, but on the Al-Jazeera News network, the Middle East historian, Dr. Mordechai Keidar became a star long ago, a one person hasbara (PR for Israel) team. His provocative remarks against Islam and the Arab world have sparked a big storm, but he isn’t moved. “In Israel they hug me and kiss me. I am Israeli, Jewish, Zionist that defends his people, his religion and his country from the desert peoples.” (Interviewed by Noam Barkan, Yedioth’s Sunday ’24 Hours’ supplement, pp. 24-25)

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