News Nosh: May 27, 2018

APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday May 27, 2018
 
Quote of the day
"We don't feel like second-class citizens, but rather like seventh-class … Like (we're worth) nothing."

--Musa Al-Ubara, a relative of the young man who was injured by police when he was detained for an expired driver's license.*


You Must Be Kidding:
Labor party MK Eitan Cabel urged his colleagues to “sober up and shake off” their adherence to the land-for-peace paradigm.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
  • Case 1000 will be transferred next month to (State Prosecutor) Shai Nitzan with recommendation to put Netanyahu on trial
  • Teachers are asking for donations: Dozens of initiatives raise funds via the Internet
  • Trump: It is possible the meeting with Kim will take place; Leaders of N. and S. Korea met on the border
  • Duvdevan Unit soldier, Ronen Lubarsky, died of injury he received from a stone slab thrown by a Palestinian during a raid in Ramallah
  • Prime Minister’s Office claimed that the candidate for the committee has no connections to the ministers, even though she contributed to a female minister in the Likud
  • Police Internal Investigations Dept will examine video in which a police officer is seen slapping a detainee who was being held by police officers (Hebrew)
  • There is something to hide // Haaretz Editorial on the bill to prohibit filming soldiers
  • (Labor MK) Cabel and (Habayit Hayehudi leader) Bennett are brothers // Gideon Levy
  • Canceling the authors’ law will destroy the small publishing houses
  • What can be learned from the courage of the Attorney General in the [corruption] case of (Minister) Katz and in Netanyahu’s cases? // Ido Baum
  • 1/4-page ad: #NativHaavot#; #Outpost regulation law? When talking about High Court rulings it’s a…FIXED GAME. Universal values over Jewish values, global choice at the expense of real Zionism, the world’s demands over the needs of the people, the safety of terrorists over support for IDF soldiers, infiltrators before residents of the state. It is impossible to run a country this way. It is impossible to continue this way.
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • In life and in death - Two friends from the Duvdevan Unit were killed with two months of each other
  • Real Madrid’s triple - Won the championships for the third consecutive time
  • Tudu Bom (song) - Knesset will hold ‘white night’ with performances by Ben-El Tavori and Static and other leading artists
  • (IDF) Chief medical officer opposes transfer of treatment of soldiers to HMOs
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Investigations of Netanyahu: State witness (Nir) Hefetz implicated additional suspects
  • Real Madrid won the championships for the third consecutive time
  • Duvdevan Unit soldier, Ronen Lubarsky, died of his wounds he received from a stone slab thrown on him
Israel Hayom

News Summary:
An Israeli soldier died of his head injury sustained when a Palestinian dropped a stone slab on his head during an arrest raid in a refugee camp in the West Bank, reports on the investigations of alleged corruption by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and a confusing and conflicting reports on police violence towards a Bedouin man from Rahat and the angry response from locals who witnessed it were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, four Palestinians crossed into Israel again to set fire on an IDF outpost and also left Israelis a message on a symbolic refugee tent before running back into Gaza. (Hamas TV ran a video of it a few hours later.) The Friday Gaza border demonstrations continued leaving 109 protesters injured by the IDF, but that barely made the news. In E. Jerusalem, Israeli police did not impose any age restrictions on entering the Old City to attend the Friday prayer , as it has in previous years, and tens of thousands of worshippers attended the Friday without incident.

Netanyahu’s corruption cases are coming back to the front pages. Haaretz reported that State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan will recommend indicting Netanyahu in Case 1000, the luxury gifts case. Netanyahu will be questioned by police again on June 12th in regards to Case 4000, the alleged quid pro quo relationship with telecom tycoon Shaul Elovitch of Bezeq Telecom. Former Netanyahu-confidant-turned-state-witness, Nir Hefetz turned over a text message from Sara Netanyahu that allegedly is incriminating evidence of exchange of favors. Maariv reported that he has incriminated other suspects.

Oddly, the Hebrew newspapers didn’t discuss reports about the northern front, but the websites did: that Israel gave Russia a new set of red lines and that Israel attacked a Hezbollah convoy on Saturday. A-Shaq al-Awsat newspaper reported that Israel notified Russia of a redrawing of 'red lines' for Iran such that Israel will now operate in all of Syria to keep Iran out. Sky News reported that 21 people were killed in the air strike in Homs on Thursday, nine of them Iranian. Islamic republic's official press agency denied the claim. (Also Maariv) And sources in the Syrian opposition said Israel attacked a Hezbollah convoy on its way to Lebanon, killing numerous people. (Maariv)

Just a week after an Israeli police officer beat an Arab civil rights activist in Haifa and lied about it, now in the southern Bedouin town of Rahat, an undercover Israeli Police officer slapped hard a young man, whom officers were holding. The incident all started when the police wanted to stop a car because its driver's license had expired. From the different reports in the papers and the videos on the news websites, it was hard to say what happened and in what order. The police said the driver drove away and that after they forced the driver to stop his car, the driver and his two friends got out carrying clubs and stones and began to attack the (armed) police officers and called for other locals to join them. Yedioth reported that the family of the driver, Yusuf Al-Ubra, said that he wanted to pull over so as not to disrupt the traffic and the police called on him to stop and used vulgar language and a clash broke out. Maariv reported that the video shows “dozens of people began throwing rocks at the patrol car, and even injured two police who needed medical treatment…During the rioting an undercover police officer was filmed slapping a resident of the city who tried to prevent the arrest.” But Yedioth reported that the man who was slapped was a passersby, Osama Abu-Siyam, 22, who has a prior brain injury, and was slapped when he was held by police and could not harm anyone. Moreover, Yedioth also published a photo of Al-Ubara standing handcuffed in the hospital with his head bleeding. His family says he was beaten even after he was detained (much like Jafar Farah, the civil rights activist, a week ago - OH). But most of the papers reported only on the injured police officers. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan tweeted that the officer will soon find himself outside the police. Regarding the ‘mob that attacked the police,’ upon looking at one of the longer videos, one sees stone-throwing by the locals after one of the three young men screamed from being tasered while in the police car. Worthy of note, the translation to English of the Hebrew article was changed in some ways, making the police seem less guilty. The article in English did not always add the words, ‘According to the police,’ as the reporter Ilana Curiel had done, did not note clearly that both two police officers and two detainees were injured, putting more emphasis on the police officers, who were bruised and sent home. Haaretz Hebrew reported that residents of Rahat held a protest calling for an end to ‘police terror.’
 
Quick Hits:
  • 2 Palestinians from Gaza succumb to wounds (from border protests) - Muhannad Baker Abu Tahoun, 21, succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head from IDF forces during protests along the border fence 24 hours after reaching a hospital in Hebron. Ahmed Ali Qatush, 23, also succumbed to wounds Thursday. Gaza Health Ministry: about 50 Palestinians being treated were on the verge of death. (Maan)
  • **Labor MK urges his party to ‘sober up’ and push to annex settlement blocs - Eitan Cabel says Labor won't get back into power unless it faces reality; urges freeze outside the blocs to show Palestinians which areas are open to negotiation. (Times of Israel)
  • Hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner transferred to Negev jail - Omar al-Barghouthi, 40, from Kobar village in Ramallah district, has been on a hunger strike against the renewal of his administrative detention. He has been held in administrative detention since August 2nd, 2017. He has stopped drinking water. (Maan)
  • Border Police: An officer invited a policewoman to accompany him as a "partner in operational activity" and committed an indecent act - A female soldier serving in the draft army filed a complaint with the Department Internal Investigation of Police on suspicion of sexual assault by an officer who kissed her while claiming that it was an operational necessity. The officer was interrogated and removed from the unit. (Maariv)
  • Palestinian journalists condemn Israeli bill criminalizing photography of soldier - The PCJ called the proposed bill “racist,” saying that it “severely attacks the profession of the press and legitimizes the criminal practices committed by the Israeli occupation army against the Palestinian people.” (Maan)
  • After outcry, Guatemala admits: Sheldon Adelson funded flight to Israel for embassy move - Following days of speculation, Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel says American magnate offered Boeing 767 to officials flying to embassy relocation ceremony. (Haaretz+)
  • Report: EU gives BDS groups millions in violation of its own policy - Strategic Affairs Ministry publishes list of groups, some with ties to terrorism, that receive EU funds despite calling for boycotts of Israel. Israel calls on EU to uphold its policy not to support boycotts, stop meddling in Israel's internal affairs. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • Ad for Israeli maternity ward portrays fetus as future soldier - Militarism begins at conception? An ad for a maternity ward in one of Israel’s top hospitals depicts a fetus wearing a military beret and saluting. (+972mag)
  • Israeli Labor Lawmaker Calls Leftism 'A Stain,' Angering Fellow Party Members - A right-wing paper had asked him how he, a secular member of a left-leaning party, thought he could be elected Jerusalem mayor. (Haaretz+)
  • Questions raised over Israeli civil servant nominee's political contribution - Documents show that Iris Stark, a candidate for a civil service committee, contributed to social equality minister. Stark says she withdrew the contribution. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel calls on EU to end funding to pro-boycott groups - Palestinian-affiliated group slams Israel for latest report telling EU it expects the union curtail financial aid to groups 'that have ties to terror and promote boycotts against Israel'; Israel says such NGOs received $5.9 million in 2016. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Spying on Linda Sarsour: Israeli firm compiled BDS dossier for Adelson-funded U.S. group battling her campus appearances - Israel Cyber Shield (ICS) collected intelligence on the Palestinian-American activist and her family on behalf of a pro-Israel organization called Act.IL. (Haaretz+)
  • "Black Cube acts as aprivate arm of the Mossad" - NBC News investigation claims that Israel knew about the activities of the company, which was founded by the Israeli intel community and operated to collect information on senior Obama (administration officials). Black Cube: "The company is not connected to the Trump administration or the nuclear agreement." (Maariv, p. 12)
  • Haredim protest arrest of female military defector - Dozens of members of the radical Jerusalem Faction congregate outside Jaffa military court to protest continued detention of female defector, with activists calling police 'Nazis'. (Ynet)
  • Israeli left-wing activist to be charged with breaking Oslo accord for informing on Palestinian land sales; most of the accusations were dropped - Ezra Nawi is charged for violating clause prohibiting Israeli citizens from cooperating with PA security. Investigation opened after footage of Nawi bragging about handing over Palestinians who sold land to Jewish settlers to PA was exposed. Indictment won’t include clauses on attempt to murder or contact with foreign agent. (Haaretz and Ynet Hebrew)
  • Picture of terrorist next to a noose hung on Jaffa landmark - Police launch investigation after video surfaces showing 2 right-wing activists ascending Jaffa Clock Tower and hanging picture of terrorist who killed Rabbi Itamar Ben Gal in Ariel; lawyer accuses cops of becoming 'thought police.' (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Hamsas Aren't Just for Mizrahi Jews – and a New Jerusalem Exhibit Proudly Displays Just That - The exhibition explores the origins and even politics of the palm-shaped amulet. (Haaretz+)
  • Protesters against gas facility place smoke flares near Netanyahu residence - Flares placed in garbage bin during protest demanding new location for planned natural gas treatment facility. (Haaretz+)
  • Tour guide murdered after helping kidnapped Israelis in Colombia - Colombian terrorists, apparently FARC members, free kidnapped Israelis initially ransomed for $200,000 on Tuesday after tour guide offers herself instead • "She had on a smile that said that everything is all right," says freed Israeli captive. (Israel Hayom)
  • Trump can no longer block Twitter users, but what about Netanyahu? - A U.S. federal court ruled on Wednesday that President Donald Trump could not block Twitter users - a decision which could have weighty implications not just for other American officials, but for public servants worldwide. (Haaretz+)
  • IDF’s Expertise Drives Tech Boom for Driverless Cars - ‘A lot of the entrepreneurs are coming out of the IDF,' said Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr., and ‘they have a lot of wisdom.’ (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Underground cave with rich stalactites discovered in Jerusalem – and will be filled with concrete - Based on the humidity and amount of water inside, the cave is apparently still active: The stalactites are continuing to grow, one drop at a time. (Haaretz)
  • Three Palestinian toddlers suffocate in car during heat wave in town outside Jerusalem - The three, 2 to 3-years-old, seemed to have been playing and locked themselves inside the scorching vehicle. (Haaretz+)
  • Royal kitsch overtakes politics at Brits’ Israel birthday bash - Prince Charles' presence helped the event seem more like an exercise in validation than a celebration of culture, but at least there were no angry protests by any side. (Haaretz+)
  • UK's Prince William will visit Jerusalem, Ramallah in June
  • PM Netanyahu hails "historic visit" by Prince William, the first senior member of Britain's royal family to pay an official state visit to Israel. While Britain and Israel are close allies, they have publicly disagreed over a number of issues. (Israel Hayom)
  • "Terrible massacre": North Korea condemned Israel's "bloody campaign" - Kim Jong-On's administration handed the Palestinian Authority an official statement in which it sharply criticized the IDF's "excessive use of force" against "peaceful demonstrators in the Gaza Strip.” (Maariv)
  • Turkey: Israel harming itself if it recognizes 'Armenian Holocaust' - Foreign Ministry spokesman in Turkey cautions Israel against recognizing 20th century Armenian Genocide after Knesset speaker backs the idea amid diplomatic spat between Jerusalem and Ankara. (Ynet)
  • Top Islamic institution slams U.S. Ambassador Friedman over 'mosque-free' photo of Jerusalem Temple - Al-Azhar in Egypt calls incident with Friedman a ‘Zio-American provocation’ and ‘inappropriate and irresponsible.’ (Haaretz)
  • Infant taken off Gaza border casualties list - Unable to provide evidence to back claim a Palestinian baby died of tear gas inhalation, Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza removes her name off list of people killed by the IDF in recent Gaza border clashes; toddler's said to have suffered from a severe congenital heart condition. (Ynet)
  • Hamas military leader admits Iran provides group with weapons, expertise - In an interview with Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV station, Yahya Sinwar says the foreign assistance to his organization comes "first and foremost [from] the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Sinwar notes that coordination with Tehran is held "almost on a daily basis." (Israel Hayom)
  • Lebanon must stay out of regional conflicts, re-elected PM says - Saad Hariri is named Lebanon's prime minister for the third time, says a national unity government that balances parties' competing interests must be formed as quickly as possible. Iran-backed Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah will be part of government. (Israel Hayom)
  • Syrian cargo flights spotted from Damascus to Tehran - SAF's cargo aircraft detected flying from Damascus to Tehran despite US's demand to withdraw Iranian forces from Syria; Syrian reports say US-led coalition forces responsible for recent strike in Albu Kamal; Pentagon denies any involvement in strike. (Ynet)
  • Senior Popular Front (PFLP) official: "Syrian rebels seek IDF casualties in Yarmuk camp" - In an interview given by the organization's deputy secretary-general to a network affiliated with Hezbollah, Talal Naji blamed the rebels who oppose Assad for collaborating with Israel. "They searched in graves for the fallen (Israeli soldiers) of Sultan Yaqub. (Maariv)
  • IAEA: Iran complying with nuclear deal, but could do better - Iran could take steps to "enhance confidence" in its adherence to limits under 2015 deal, says International Atomic Energy Agency. Diplomats say inspection last month went down to the wire. Russia welcomes EU efforts to preserve deal post-U.S. exit. (Israel Hayom)
  • Iran sets May 31 deadline to see EU measures to save nuclear deal - Tehran will decide whether to quit the accord after reviewing the economic package France, Germany and Britain offer. "I'm sorry to say that we haven't [seen] the plan B yet," Iranian officials involved in the negotiations says. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)
  • Iranian FM caught chanting 'death to US, UK, Israel' - Considered a moderate by the international community, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif is nevertheless seen chanting along with an incited crowd for the demise of the US, UK and Israel. (Ynet)
  • In French poll, majority say Zionism is a Jewish conspiracy - The poll also revealed widespread hostility toward and ignorance about Israel. (JTA, JPost)
  • Egypt Blocks YouTube for a Month Over Controversial anti-Islam Video - The 14-minute movie, titled 'The Innocence of Muslims,' sparked protests in Arab and Muslim nations as well as in some Western countries. (Agencies, Haaretz)


Features:
Gideon Levy: A Palestinian vineyard annihilated with chainsaws, with a chilling message in Hebrew
Vandals slashed hundreds of mature grape plants near Hebron, and the odds that the culprits will be caught are slim. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
In Hebron, residents choose Ramadan shopping over riots
Less than 3,000 Palestinians went out to protest in the West Bank on Nakba Day in support of Gazans; a tour of the former terror capital of the West Bank reveals residents have remained almost indifferent to the deadly riots in on the Gaza border, some even asking the Hebron brigade commander to apprehend would-be terrorists. (Yoav Zitun, Ynet)
Why Sirhan Sirhan, a Jerusalem-born Palestinian, Shot Bobby Kennedy
Bobby Kennedy's assassination, 50 years later: Sirhan Sirhan, whose family fled Jerusalem in 1948, may have been America's first Middle Eastern lone-wolf terrorist. (Nettanel Slyomovics, Haaretz+)
In Gaza, border opening brings relief and anxiety
Egypt has opened the crossing during the month of Ramadan easing a border blockade of Gaza that it has enforced, along with Israel, for the past 11 years; Hamed al-Shaer encountered difficulties while attempting going back to Saudi-Arabia where he has been living for the past 13 years, after visiting his family in Gaza. (Associated Press, Ynet)
The unknown story of the Polish diplomats who saved Jews from the Nazis
Polish diplomats serving in the Swiss capital ran an underground factory making fake passports for Latin American countries, including Paraguay. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The Bill to Protect Elor Azaria (Haaretz Editorial) Israel is set to consider a proposal banning any photographing of soldiers if carried out with the intention of 'undermining the morale of Israel’s soldiers and residents.’
The diplomatic day after Abbas (David M. Weinberg, Israel Hayom) No one knows if the inevitable Palestinian political shakeup will foster a better Israeli-Palestinian future. Israel must prepare itself for a post-Abbas period of instability.
With Trump at His Back, Netanyahu Feels Invincible. But Reality May Soon Come Crashing Down (Amzos Harel, Haaretz+) Jerusalem hopes that the support from Washington will be leveraged into practical achievements against Iran, an intelligence source says.
The boomerang effect of anti-Israel lies (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Although Hamas has already admitted that 50 of the Palestinians killed on the Gaza border some two weeks ago were its own operatives, the ‘massacre’ claims have become a consensus in progressive circles in Israel and worldwide. The result of this incitement campaign is a radicalization of Muslim communities across Europe.
The hair-raising scenarios behind Netanyahu's war power saga (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) When the opportunity arose to get around the security cabinet when declaring war, it beckoned to Netanyahu. But then he took it too far.
Between UNHRC, ICC and EU: Palestinian legal war on Israel (Shlomo Puterkovsky, Yedioth/Ynet) As part of their strategy to internationalize the conflict, the Palestinians are trying to replace the language too: To stop ‘talking diplomatically’ and start ‘talking legally.’ The Israeli challenge, therefore, isn’t to win in Gaza, but to win in the international arena.
Israeli F-35 over Beirut: A fine line between deterrence and hubris (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Israel's publication of the dramatic photo of the F-35 above Lebanon had some embarrassing side effects.
Tehran at a crossroads (Erez Linn, Israel Hayom) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's aggressive demands of Iran put the Islamic republic on the defensive but it is hard to believe Tehran will comply with the American demands • With a sword hanging over their heads, the ayatollahs face fateful decisions.
To Get Iran Out of Syria, Israel and the U.S. Must Cooperate With Putin (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Russia's strategy is now the main guarantee to prevent war between Iran and Israel. The question is if Tehran will keep seeing eye to eye with Moscow.
Stopping terrorism, night after night (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Israelis enjoy quiet for the most part because elite IDF units operate nightly to apprehend terrorists and thwart planned attacks through actions that are as necessary as they are dangerous.
The Ambiguity Has Been Replaced by Arrogance (Friday Haaretz Editorial) It’s strange that the leaders poking every finger into the eyes of the Iranians, Syrians and Lebanese insisted until recently on a policy of ambiguity regarding operations in other countries.
U.S. Embassy celebrations: A who's who of the Israeli arms trade (Eitay Mack, +972mag) Only around 30 countries took part in the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s gala celebrating the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem last week. Not coincidentally, Israel’s ties with most of them are based on arms sales used to carry out gross human rights violations.
Netanyahu’s Man in the Police (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) When Bibi exits the stage of (rewriting) history, an inquiry will surely be conducted in an effort to stanch the bleeding of the dying democracy he left behind. And it will get to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan too.
Do you even know what apartheid means? (Noah Klieger, Yedioth/Ynet) A state with complete academic freedom, with Arab ministers and MKs, a state that fosters Arab professors, doctors, pharmacists and teachers, can’t be called an ‘apartheid state,’ unless it’s by ignorant or evil people. And the last person who can throw this accusation at Israel is a dictator like Erdoğan who has been cracking down on freedom of speech and the free press in his own country.
Israel's Far-right Zionist Left (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The Labor Party's Eitan Cabel proposes not peace but annexation. His Palestinians have no status and no rights, and they of course are to blame for this.
For Hamas, the worse the better (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) The line between Israel-hatred and Jew-hatred has all but disappeared. Not everyone who defends Hamas and bashes Israelis supports the annihilation of Israel, but all are enablers of those who do.
The countless Israeli connections to Mueller’s probe of Trump and Russia (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The Israel-lobbyists, Netanyahu cronies, psyops manipulators and well-connected oligarchs — could it all be just one big coincidence?
That roaring sound? It’s Palestine unleashing a legal tsunami against Israeli war crimes (Victor Kattan, Haaretz+) Palestine is determined to bring the full weight of international law down on Israel. And it’s starting now.
Gaza's protest leaders still believe in nonviolent struggle (Rami Younis, +972mag) Despite the bloodletting in Gaza over the past months, the leaders of the Great Return March believe that nonviolent resistance is still the best way to end the siege. Rami Younis spoke to Hasan al-Kurd, one of the leaders of the march about the successes, mistakes, and future of the movement.
Why the Palestinian struggle is more necessary than ever (Ofri Ilany, Haaretz+) Israel and the U.S. hope to bury the Palestinian national project and make Jerusalem a playground for settlers and evangelicals; the Palestinians won't let that happen.
The British Jewish community won't silence our solidarity with Gaza (Rob Abrams, +972mag) Young British Jews are facing a torrent of hatred from their own community for expressing solidarity with Gaza. And yet, more British Jews are struggling to see the values they hold reflected in the Israeli government.
If you think Israel is illegitimate and inspired by white supremacy, can you really be its 'impartial' critic? (Petra Marquardt-Bigman, Haaretz+) Omar Shakir, the long-time anti-Israel activist threatened with deportation, clearly feels at home at Human Rights Watch. But claiming he's a dispassionate observer of Israel’s conduct? That's either deluded, or dishonest.
Israel Wants to Deport Human Rights Watch Official. So Did Egypt and Syria (Omar Shakir, Haaretz+) Israel claims to be the region’s only democracy, yet it is deporting a rights defender over his peaceful expression, joining the ranks of Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.
'I'll open up your face': The routine of collective punishment in Hebron (Orly Noy, +972mag) A new video shows Israeli Border Police preventing children from passing through a gate in order to reach their homes. This is what collective punishment looks like.
What not to learn from Israel’s unusual baby boom (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) While western birthrates decline, the Israeli fertility rate is high and rising, which makes some people think we can win a demographic race with the Palestinians. It doesn’t, but it alleviates a lot of economic distress.
Flight From the Enemy and Its Reward (Israel Harel, Haaretz) The 2000 exit from Lebanon without an agreement remains the disaster that keeps causing more disasters for Israel.
 
Interviews:
'I'd put my money on the US and Israel against Iran'
When former Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman heard about President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, he was "thrilled and grateful" • "All credit goes to President Trump for having the courage and the confidence," he says. (Interviewed by Erez Linn in Israel Hayom)
'Distorted Christian theology is what generated the Holocaust'
The Church has a blood-drenched, barbaric past, says Rev. Gary Mason, a leader of the Northern Ireland reconciliation movement. But religious leaders can be agents of healing, too. (Ayelett Shani, Haaretz+)
Trade and tirades: The complicated truth behind Israel's love-hate relationship with the EU
In an interview to Haaretz, the EU ambassador to Israel, Emanuele Giaufret, an Italian diplomat who returned to Israel a year ago after serving in the EU delegation here a decade ago, says Israel's biting criticism proves just how important the European Union really is to Israelis. (Interviewed by Noa Landau in Haaretz+)
‘Boycotts against Israel are a dangerous weapon'
Before becoming president of Uruguay, Luis Alberto Lacalle visited Israel and left a changed man. Decades later, he still believes in combating anti-Semitism, explaining Israel's "justified" perspective to the world and learning from Israel's successes. (Interviewed by Sal Emergui in Israel Hayom)
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.