News Nosh 1.31.18

APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday January 31, 2018
 
Quote of the day:
“We live alongside each other and the loss of Ron does not undermine my belief in peace.”
-Levana Kukia, whose son, Sgt. Ron Kukia, was stabbed to death by a Bedouin in Arad, where she lives, will hold a planting ceremony today together with Ghadir Hani, a Bedouin woman from nearby Hura town.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
Exchange in Knesset between two MKs**:
Oren Hazan: I'd teach you a few things. [Said to MK Rachel Azaria. Hazan ran a casino in Romania. -OH]
Michal Biran: MK Rachel Azaria would do just fine without the skills of managing a casino in Burgas.
Oren Hazan: I wouldn't let you be a dealer.
Michal Biran: Pimp, it's a disgrace you're in the Knesset.
Oren Hazan: Do you want to fill out a job application? No one would look at you anyway.

Front Page:
Haaretz
  • Israel offers plan to rehabilitate the infrastructure in Gaza - through international funding
  • Police Commissioner to police commander suspected of sexual harassment: I am forced to reprimand you with empathy and sadness
  • Political crisis in Kenya: The loser in elections was swore-in as ‘President of the People’
  • Asylum seekers came to make requests and discovered that the Migration Authority Office was transferred without warning
  • 13-year-old, who came to visit her aunt in Israel, was interrogated at length and deported
  • Doctors and psychologists: Facebook app is dangerous for children and takes advantage of their vulnerability
  • Science lesson for first-graders: A woman must light candles on Shabbat
  • Nili Mirsky, who translated classic literature to Hebrew, died
  • Creation and occupation // Zvi Bar’el
  • Who is the McCarthy? // Yuanna Gonen
  • Warren Buffet and Jeff Bezos brushed off Obama Care: They are establishing independent HMOs for their employees
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • “Netanyahu will be summoned to testify in the Submarines Affair”
  • Saidoff on the use of chefs in the PM's Residence Affair - “How is it possible to say no to Sara Netanyahu?”
  • In main role of ‘Chicago’ on Broadway: (Israeli singer) Shiri Maimoun
  • The cry of the doctors - We are collapsing - Special: Four young doctors in painful personal monologues on the impossible load
  • (TV journalist) Dani Kushmaru and (actress) Yael Abouksis will host the 70th anniversary torch-lighting ceremony
  • Passover abroad? This is how you’ll get a cheap flight
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • Journey to Rwanda: “Whoever comes here is not in danger” - say residents in the capital
  • Most of public: Supports deportation of infiltrators
  • Police Commissioner reprimanded Ritman: “They forced it on me”
  • The left-wing’s method: Recordings instead of elections // Haim Shine
  • Education Ministry statistics: More complaints of violence, less on parents’ payments
  • Broadway is waiting for Shiri Maimoun: She’ll star in the main role in ‘Chicago’

News Summary:
The Netanyahu couple and their separate corruption cases, the IDF Chief of Staff's warnings as the war drums beat with Lebanon, and the badmouthing in the Knesset were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.

Despite earlier claims by the Justice Ministry that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will not be summoned to testify in Case 3000, the scandal over the shady acquisition of submarines, the papers report that he will be for certain summoned. Former defense minister Moshe Yaalon was thrilled, saying, “At last it's happening…It is not possible that all of his associates are interrogated as suspects and he did not know. He added that while he was defense minister he blocked the deal, but “I did not know that all of them were involved in the way they were involved. They hid it from me. It is clear to me that there is a serious corruption affair here, and therefore the prime minister must certainly testify if not be questioned under caution.” (Maariv/103FM)

Meanwhile, the former deputy director of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ezra Saidoff, who is suspected of colluding with Sara Netanyahu to forge invoices to order expensive meals from restaurants and private chefs using state funds, blamed Mrs. Netanyahu, saying that it was not possible to say no to her. His statement came out following the chilling recording of Mrs. Netanyahu screaming at one of her advisors, making his statement that much more believable

As the Israeli threats of attacking Lebanon over an Iranian missiles factory continues, the IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said “The IDF is working day and night to ensure preparedness” amid fears that Iran’s local ally, Hezbollah, is striving to arm itself with precision missiles. Eisenkot warned that Hezbollah was becoming increasingly 'powerful', but said Israel would “deliver a high and painful result to the enemy in wartime.” Maj. Gen. (res.) Amiram Levine told 103FM radio: "If the IDF is forced to defeat Hezbullah, all its missiles will be destroyed and Lebanon will be destroyed.” (Maariv) He also referred to the Submarine Affair on 103 FM: "It is very clear to me that Netanyahu was the man who pushed for the submarine deal, why didn’t Ya'alon object to that?" Meanwhile, a Russian delegation has arrived in Israel for security talks. Jerusalem and diaspora affairs minister Zeev Elkin, who accompanied Netanyahu on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the pair's interpersonal relationship is being leveraged to attain Israel's goals, such as freedom to operate in Syrian and Lebanese airspace; on likelihood of a third war in Lebanon, Elkin says it's up to Hezbollah—or, in actuality, Iran.

**Two MKs were barred from the Knesset for a week. MK Michal Biran was barred for calling Likud MK Oren Hazan a 'pimp' and MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union) from the Knesset plenum for a week after she called MK Miki Zohar (Likud) ‘corrupt.’ Today is the 69th anniversary of the Knesset and the papers disparaged the way Knesset MKs call each other names in the plenum. The Knesset is trying to end that.

 
Quick Hits:
  • Palestinian dies after transfer to Nablus hospital, family sues Israel - Moein Haja, 56, was injured in a workplace accident in Israel and then hospitalized in Beilinson Hospital; his employer would not confirm he was employed in Israel, so he was transferred to a dilapidated hospital in Nablus, where he passed away; 'Was it not clear transferring him will lead to his death?' Son demands; Beilinson claims authorization for transfer was received. (Ynet)
  • Palestinians claim teen killed after being shot in clashes with Israel - A 16-year-old teen was reportedly shot in his head during clashes in the West Bank; Israeli military says forces did use riot dispersal means but not live fire. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Palestinian teen shot on his balcony, Israeli police ignored complaint for two months - Qusra resident was shot during demonstrations near his home, but security camera footage was never checked and the complaint was only passed onto the military after Haaretz inquiry. (Haaretz+)
  • The Tel-Aviv high school principal that supports (Ahed) Tamimi: "It is a Palestinian legend, I spoke with the students also about (Elor) Azariah“ - Ram Cohen responded at 103FM to the storm following his remarks about a Palestinian girl. "The slap that the soldier got was the slap that we as the State of Israel and as a society got. In the eyes of the Palestinians, she is a hero…Anyone who reads my (Facebook) post has to understand that Ram Cohen thinks that 50 years of occupation in the West Bank should come to an end. Do you expect me not to say my opinions until I retire at the age of 67? I live in a society and my job is to teach values. A few months ago I brought the 11th and 12th graders together and even opened a discussion about Elor Azaria's verdict [soldier who shot in the head and killed a Palestinian assailant who was already injured and laying wounded on the ground - OH], the children were not afraid to express their opinion." (Maariv)
  • Slovenia's parliament expected to recognize state of Palestine - Slovenia's foreign affairs committee will vote on the move on Wednesday before parliament holds full vote ■ Slovenia would be the second country in the EU after Sweden to recognize a Palestinian state. (Haaretz)
  • Prominent Israelis petition Irish parliament to back bill blocking products from settlements - Letter written by former Knesset members, legal experts, ex-ambassadors, artists and academics published in The Irish Times: 'The Israeli occupation ... is not only unjust but also stands in violation of numerous UN resolutions.' “As people who care deeply for Israel’s future and long for our country to live in peace with its neighbors, we urge you to support the aforementioned Bill.” (Haaretz)
  • PM condemns Irish bill banning Israeli West Bank goods - Netanyahu slams bill that 'gives backing to those who seek to boycott Israel' and would make Ireland the first European country to ban products produced in Israeli settlements; bill receives extensive backing from prominent left-wing Israelis. (Ynet)
  • After Netanyahu summons ambassador, Irish senate postpones debate on bill blocking Israeli settlement goods - A group of Israeli activists, among them former members of Knesset, legal experts, ex-ambassadors, artists and academics, sent a written petition to the Irish parliament, asking it to support the bill. (Haaretz)
  • *Planting hope: Gadir Hani, a Bedouin woman from Hora town, and Levana Kukia, mother of soldier Ron Kukia, who was stabbed to death by a Bedouin, will hold a joint planting ceremony at the spot of the murder in Arad, at the request of Hani, who asked to plant a tree in Ron's memory.  The women will be joined by 200 others, Arab and Jewish, from the 'Women Make Peace' organization. (Yedioth, p. 8)
  • Midnight Gaza rocket falls inside Israel - Code Red sirens sounded in the Sdot Negev and Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Councils, as explosions reportedly heard in area; IDF confirms rocket falls in open space, no injuries reported. (Ynet)
  • At emergency donor meet, Israel to present $1b plan to rebuild Gaza - with international funding - The infrastructure plan, which includes desalination plants and a gas pipeline, will be presented at an emergency meeting called in response to threat of U.S. aid cuts. (Haaretz+)
  • UN employees in Gaza Strip protest against US aid cuts - U.S. decision to cut $65 million of planned $125 million in aid to U.N. agency assisting Palestinian refugees criticized as a move that will only aggravate hardship in the coastal enclave. UNRWA's Gaza director warns agency's coffers will soon be empty.(Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • WATCH: Palestinian Activists Throw Eggs at U.S. Diplomats Visiting West Bank - Protesters hold signs reading, 'U.S. = ISIS,' disrupt meeting between Palestinian chamber of commerce and U.S. business delegation in protest over Trump's Jerusalem declaration. (Haaretz and VIDEO)
  • Cost of border fences, underground barrier, reaches NIS 6bn - Over the past 17 years, Israel has spent NIS 6 billion on building and improving border fences along the Jordanian, Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese and Gazan borders, as well as on the first-of-its-kind underground barrier project—which cost nearly half the sum itself. (Ynet)
  • Netanyahu inaugurates new road in West Bank: 'A festive day for Samaria' - Netanyahu says road 'is part of an array that we're building across Judea and Samaria.’ (Haaretz)
  • West Bank sovereignty push continues in Knesset with higher education bill - The bill is meant to facilitate the opening of a medical school in Ariel University in Samaria, but also is part of a trend of coalition lawmakers moving to apply Israeli laws to the West Bank. (JPost and Maariv)
  • Bill requiring Israeli flag at public events advances in Knesset - Legislation would level a $4,200 fine on organizers who fail to feature the banner at events attended by a lawmaker. (Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Israel to compensate Jordan for embassy, bridge shootings - As part of efforts to restore solid diplomatic ties, shaken by 2017 and 2014 shooting incidents, Israel will pay Jordan $5 million, earmarked for families of three fatalities. Family of man identified as embassy attacker to get $2 million. (Israel Hayom)
  • Herzog demands Knesset speaker, legal advisor decry boycott of opposition bills - Opposition Chairman Herzog contacts Knesset Speaker Edelstein and parliament's legal advisor Yinon, demands they put an end to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation's boycott of privately sponsored opposition bills; boycott in contravention of basic tenets of parliamentary democracy, Herzog claims. (Ynet)
  • Israeli Embassy in U.S.: We oppose Qatar's 'outreach to pro-Israel U.S. Jews' - A spokesperson for the embassy told Haaretz that it did not approve of the meetings between several right-wing American Jewish leaders and senior Qatari officials, which began in mid-2017. (Haaretz+)
  • Secular Schools in Israel Integrate Religious Content Into Science and Tech Lessons - A project for first-graders on candles that included a video about lighting Shabbat candles sparked a protest by teachers who watched it with their students (Haaretz and VIDEO)
  • Rivlin: The Holocaust is not only a Jewish issue - The Holocaust 'is an international issue that touches every nation and people,' president says during cornerstone ceremony for new Holocaust Museum in Thessaloniki; 'We have not forgotten about the perpetrators and we have not forgotten about the victims,' says Greek PM Tsipras. (Ynet)
  • Polish journalist: Jews also took part in the Holocaust - Amid furor over Polish legislation on Nazi death camps, TV host and journalist spark further outrage by suggesting they be referred to as 'Jewish death camps' due to Jews role in Holocaust; hours before, journalist tweets and deletes anti-Semitic post about 'scabby and greedy' people; Israeli Foreign Ministry weighs discussing matter with Warsaw embassy. (Ynet)
  • Following the High Court's order: The police commissioner (regretfully) rebuked (police commander) Roni Ritman - Roni Alsheich summoned Lahav commander 433 and told him that he was forced to scold him in light of the sexual harassment case complaint by officer T., and he was doing so against his will and despite his sympathy for Ritman. (Maariv)
  • Israel thwarted numerous cyberattacks from all over the world, Shin Bet security chief says - According to Israel's Shin Bet security chief, cybersecurity is Israel's main tool against terror. (Haaretz+)
  • IDF to roll out new rocket launcher for infantrymen - Rafael has completed development of the Spike SR, a lightly built, shoulder-mounted rocket launcher allowing for greater maneuverability and operations; launcher's development part of lessons of Operation Protective Edge. (Ynet)
  • BDS Poses Little Threat to Israel Trade, Study Finds - While high quality of many Israeli exports mean consumers are hard pressed to find alternatives, a Brookings Institution study highlights that tourism, food products are still at risk. (TheMarker)
  • Kansas court temporarily blocks law punishing those who boycott Israel or the settlements - ACLU filed suit on behalf of math teacher who lost contract for boycotting products made in Israeli settlements. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • HBO Buys Israeli Documentary 'The Oslo Diaries' - The film describes the activity behind the scenes of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The U.S. cable network will air the film to mark the 25th anniversary of the Oslo Accords. (Haaretz)
  • Israel Aerospace seeks $90M in damages over satellite blast - Amos-6 communications satellite was destroyed in 2016, two days before it was to be launched into orbit, in a catastrophic static test malfunction • Insurers claim they were not notified of changes in test protocols. IAI: Policy included total loss. (Israel Hayom)
  • State closes case against former PM Olmert over suspicions of passing on classified info - The former prime minister was suspected of passing on sensitive security information while writing a book during his time in prison. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Hamas official who allegedly (accidentally) shot himself in the head dies of his wounds in Gaza - Reports circulated in Gaza that Imad Al-Alami was the victim of an assassination attempt, though Hamas denies the claim. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • France, Britain shun Syrian peace talks, want UN process - Paris, London refuse to take part in Sochi meeting on Syria, say talks have to be part of a U.N.-led process • Moscow must get Syrian government to engage in the peace process, they say. Kremlin unfazed by Syrian opposition's boycott of negotiations. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • Surprising Candidate for Egyptian Presidency Challenges Sissi Ahead of Elections - Candidate Mousa Mostafa Mousa is the head of a party that had previously endorsed Sissi for a second term. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
In Israeli Arab city where streets have no name, receiving mail is a feat
In a city of more than 60,000, street names and addresses are lacking, so some people wait for delivery at the entrance to town. (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+)
The facts behind the migrants expulsion plan
According to official figures, 34,187 Sudanese, Eritreans, illegally crossed into Israel; out of 12,136 asylum requests, only 11 were approved, compared to 90% in other countries; Many prominent Israelis oppose the expulsion on humanitarian grounds, but other assure that the migrants’ safety is not compromised. (Amir Alon, Yedioth/Ynet)
Head of Uganda’s Jews optimistic that Israel will recognize his community soon
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, spiritual leader of the Abayudaya, encouraged by talks in Israel with Jewish Agency leader and head of Knesset immigration committee. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
Painter Zoya Cherkassky, Israel's eternal dissident, is embraced by an unlikely institution
In a solo exhibition titled 'Pravda,' Zoya Cherkassky expresses the truth about the hardship, oppression, and disappointment faced by Israelis who immigrated from the Soviet Union. (Shaul Setter, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:
As an Ethiopian Israeli, I call out my country's African refugee policy for what it is: A racist manhunt (Shula Mola, Haaretz) When Israel chases down black Africans for deportation or jail, and gives white Europeans a free pass, there’s only one name for it.
"Pimp", “idiot”, and "donkey": the dirty mouth of our Knesset members (Arik Bender, Maariv) Against the backdrop of the removal of MKs Stav Shafir and Michal Biran (for one week) and the expected punishment for MK Oren Hazan, the impression is that parliamentary discourse is deteriorating. But perusing through the Knesset archive shows that curses have always existed in the Knesset.
The Deep State of the Union: Dictocracy. How Trump, Putin and Netanyahu run your life (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) They live as royals. They rule as royals. They are above the law. They alone know best. They exalt and exploit religion, but do not practice it. Democracy - the same. They are beholden to oligarchs. Some Russian. Some named Koch. Some named Adelson.
Russia is the primary address (Oded Granot, Israel Hayom) Israel wants to exhaust all avenues of "diplomatic leverage" before it endeavors to remove the menacing "Shiite crescent" from its border.
Before Embarking on a War of Choice (Haaretz Editorial) When it comes to a volatile threat such as Lebanon, close and skeptical scrutiny of the political and military decision-making processes is essential.
Israel and UNRWA's emergency meeting (Gerald M. Steinberg, Israel Hayom) Israel should use Wednesday's UNRWA donor nations conference to demand that the destructive status quo change and that donors condition aid on the return of Israeli captives and fallen soldiers.
Israel Just Created a New Type of Terrorism (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) On the Knesset website appears a new category of terrorism, ‘construction terror.’ Those convicted in advance include the Palestinian Authority, the Bedouin — and the European Union.
The daily reality in the Knesset building is not at all like the image it has (MK Yehuda Glick, Maariv) In all the parties - Arabs and Jews, left and right, ultra-Orthodox, traditional and secular - there are people who see themselves as public emissaries, who are giving all their time for the benefit of their constituents.
Could a drier Middle East be a more peaceful one? (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Access to water been mostly a source of upheaval and conflict, but Israel and its neighbors are starting to have little choice but to work together to solve a common problem.
There is no better time for soul searching than a birthday, the time has come to clean house (MK Karin Alharar, Maariv) After five years in the Knesset building, allow me to spoil the atmosphere of celebration. In recent years, the Knesset has lost its status and prestige, and we have witnessed a sharp decrease in its power in the past year.
Why Diaspora Jews care so much about the fate of the African asylum seekers (Dina Kraft, Haaretz) Even loyal advocates of Israel like Alan Dershowitz have criticized the government for its plan to forcibly deport Eritreans and Sudanese. Their story has touched a nerve with Jews abroad, who see deporting refugees as a violation of Jewish values and their own history.
Israel's Coordinator of Laughter and Tears in the Territories (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) 'Allah will shower his satisfaction on your morning,' the Israeli authorities are telling Palestinians on Facebook. Such goodwill abounds, but we only get reports about checkpoints, home demolitions, shooting and killing.
No monopoly on morality (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Left resorts to gossip and slander because it cannot face the fact that it is losing control not only of the government but of culture, the courts and academia. It treats the people with contempt and earns a heaping portion of contempt in return.
A 13-year-old Existential Danger to Israel (Orly Vilnai, Haaretz+) If the country is deporting teenage asylum seekers into oblivion, why be surprised if it does the same to a dark-skinned Colombian girl?
For once, Netanyahu is rooting for Iranian president Rohani (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Israel is hoping its tough talk on alleged Iranian missile factories in Lebanon will hit a nerve in cash-strapped Tehran and strengthen the president's position.
Netanyahu Sheds Crocodile Tears Over the Whims and Wrath of His Marie Antoinette (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Leaders who cherish their spouse’s privacy don’t push them into photo-ops and state dinners and don’t give them a say in vital decisions and appointments.
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.