News Nosh: June 20, 2018

by APN 06/20/18
Share

APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday June 20, 2018
 
Quote of the day:
“From the start I had no confidence that the judicial system in Israel would do us justice. Now they’re trying everything possible to clear the accused, and if that happens this entire case comes to nothing.”
--Hussein Dawabsheh, grandfather of Ali Dawabsheh, the only survivor of the Jewish terror attack on Ali's home in 2015. Yesterday the court ruled that some of the key confessions from the murderers were inadmissible.*

You Must Be Kidding: 
“I only know that I live beyond the Green Line."
--Student A., a settler, is the only person in a university class taught by Haaretz journalist Zvi Bar'el, who could explain the meaning of the term “Green Line,” Israel’s pre-1967 border. But A. didn't know that the Green Line is a border, writes Bar'el, nor do most of the hundreds of Israeli students to whom he has taught about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.**

Breaking News:
Major Gaza Escalation: 45 Rockets Fired at Israel, IDF Strikes 25 Hamas Targets
Army says warning shot fired at incendiary balloon launchers in Gaza. Seven rockets intercepted, one lands near Israeli kindergarten. (Haaretz+, Ynet and Israel Hayom)

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Children of the cages - World protest against the Trump Administration’s treatment of children of illegal migrants
  • The smoking gun - Use of cannabis on military bases, special deliveries to the base guard - this is how the IDF turned into a green military
  • The Jewish terror affair - Duma trial: Some of the confessions were rejected
  • Affair of the minister spy - Segev claims: I wanted to be a double agent
  • It’s all for her - Billionaire looking for medicine for his wife’s cancer
  • Going on vacation - High school students going to the sea
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • Segev: I updated a senior person in the security establishment on the connections with Iran
  • School vacation - Some 733,000 high school students end the school year today
  • Duma file: The confessions gotten through force will be disqualified
  • Invalid means // Attorney Yechiel Guttman

Israel Hayom


News Summary:
*A court disqualified some of the key confessions of the two Jewish Israeli suspects in the murder of three members of the Palestinian Dawabshe family as inadmissible due to the use of physical force, putting in danger the conviction of the murderers, despite one of them reenacting the murder and giving details only the murderer could have known, the suspected Israeli spy for Iran, Gonen Segev, said he informed a senior Israeli security source about his connections with Iran and waited for Israeli instructions in order to become a double agent, and the world expressed anger at the Trump administration for its separation of illegal migrant children from their parents were the top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, Israel Hayom, which goes to print later than the other Hebrew newspapers, reported that the US quit the UN Human Rights Council, citing bias against Israel.

Gaza Quickees:
  • 'Incendiary kites should meet the same response as rockets' - "We need to kill anyone who attacks us. Terrorism must be crushed with an iron fist,” said the chairman of the Israel Farmers Union, which hosted a national conference on agricultural terrorism and cutbacks to subsidized water supply for farmers. Residents whose livelihood and safety are at risk demand that the government take action against terrorism in the guise of beloved childhood playthings. (Israel Hayom)
  • Deputy Minister Ben Dahan: "Take the kite terror in proportion. Don’t start educating me about love of the country” - Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben Dahan (Habayit Hayehudi) claimed yesterday in an interview with Channel Two that it is not correct to define the wave of burning kites as terrorism since there is no crossing of the (separation) fence or infiltration into Jewish communities. His remarks angered members of the kibbutz movement who rushed to call on Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to fire the deputy minister. Today he told 103FM that the people of the Kibbutz Movement shouldn’t preach morality to him. (Maariv)
  • Galant on Bennett: "Those who are not experienced in using force - do not understand his limitations" - Minister Yoav Galant, a member of Political Security Cabinet, referred to kite terrorism and a confrontation with Hamas and criticized the education minister for his statements: "Those who are not experienced in the use of force do not understand the limitations of force and believe that it can be used to solve everything. Anyone who wants to shoot 8-year-old boys doesn’t understand the limitations of force - it’s a severe mistake…I don’t underestimate the terrorism of kites, but it must be treated proportionately. We don’t have to be dragged to where we don’t want to go. We know how to hurt those who we need to. If we want to, we will reach the person who gives the order to send kites and we will kill him.” Bennett: "This is false propaganda." (Maariv)

Gonen Segev - Spy for Iran - Quickees:
  • How security forces hid Gonen Segev from public eye after his arrest -As the Israeli former minister who was arrested for spying for Iran entered the courtroom, security services sought to maintain maximum secrecy by holding late-night hearings, switching off security cameras and disguising the mysterious detainee. (Ynet)
  • Former security agents: More spies are probably still at large - Arrest of former minister Gonen Segev on charges of espionage for Iran is an "extraordinary achievement," say retired Shin Bet security agency officers. "The Knesset is the last place where you look for spies," says former Shin Bet deputy director. (Israel Hayom)
  • Gonen Segev’s place in Iranian activities in Nigeria - The Islamic Republic had interest and became involved in the African country as a way to get to Israel long before the arrest the former Israeli minister-turned spy, who spent recent years there; from photographing Israeli embassy to weapons containers destined for Hamas and Hezbollah. (Ynet)
Quick Hits:
  • Following international pressure, Netanyahu puts off demolition of illegal Palestinian homes - After hundreds of police officers and soldiers were recruited to evacuate and demolish five illegal structures in Palestinian village of Khirbet Susya in South Mt. Hebron, order arrived from the Prime Minister’s Office to postpone operation, likely due to upcoming visit of US President Trump’s Mideast envoy and special advisor this weekend. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel Must Explain How East Jerusalem Land Was Transferred to Right-wing NGO, Top Court Rules - Court’s order came in response to a petition signed by more than 100 residents, who claim the decision made 17 years ago was illegal. (Haaretz+)
  • Terrorist sentenced to 22 years in jail for stabbing (and injuring) supermarket employee - Lod District Court orders Ismail Abu Aram, who was convicted of attempted murder as part of a terror attack, to pay Niv Nehemia NIS 200,000 in damages after seriously wounding him at a Yavne supermarket in August 2017. (Ynet)
  • Palestinians in Hebron say Israeli forces strip-searched them on their way home - Local activists said Israeli soldiers stationed at checkpoint in Tel Rumeida neighborhood forced residents to remove pieces of their clothing in a “provocative and humiliating way” before allowing them entry. According to witnesses, dozens of Palestinians gathered around the checkpoint to argue with the soldiers over the invasive searches, at which point the soldiers closed the checkpoint, preventing residents from reaching their homes. (Maan)
  • UN envoy: UNRWA 'weeks away' from major cuts - Nikolay Mladenov tells Security Council that UN Relief and Works Agency has 'an unprecedented shortfall of over $250 million' following US cuts, announces another conference to be held in New York to raise funds. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Official Itinerary for Prince William's Visit to Israel and 'Occupied' Jerusalem Released - Mideast tour from June 24-28 will include meetings with Netanyahu and President Rivlin, and a visit to Yad Vashem, but there are no details of a possible trip to the Western Wall. (Haaretz)
  • (Ultra-Orthodox MK) Gafni: "The Muezzin Law will not pass," (Likud MK) Moti Yogev: "You are selling Israel in exchange for draft evasion" - Is the law that enraged the Arab public on its way to being buried? The chairman of the Finance Committee announced the ultra-Orthodox party's opposition to the law, and the Knesset legal advisor also expressed reservations. "It may create difficulties on the constitutional level." (Maariv)
  • At brother’s memorial, PM lauds Yoni Netanyahu’s ‘commander's qualities’ - Accompanied by wife and sons, Netanyahu delivers emotional speech during the memorial service marking 42 years since the death of his brother Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed in action during Operation Entebbe. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Holon deputy mayor calls homosexuals 'two-legged animals with distorted minds' - After being slammed in the media for his obscure views on LGBT community and Pride Parade, Yoel Yeshurun removes his homophobic Facebook post, but refuses to apologize; Holon Mayor Moti Sasson says he regrets his deputy's comments, which don't reflect the city's perception and policy. (Ynet)
  • Trump's Peace Envoys Meet Jordanian King Day After He Hosted Netanyahu - Ahead of Israel visit, Kushner and Greenblatt discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace plan and Gaza with Jordan's Abdullah. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • US investor visa for Israelis soon to become reality - A year after U.S. and Israel sign bilateral agreement to attract investors from each country, Knesset finalizes statutes needed to implement it • U.S. E-2 visa allows investors to enter U.S., new Israeli B-5 visa allows American investors into Israel. (Israel Hayom)
  • Navy Clears Advanced New Submarine Torpedo System for Operational Use - System that underwent year-long experimental period can fire missiles at targets dozens of kilometers away. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • Israeli Military Drone Patrolling Northern Border Fell in Syria, IDF Says - IDF says yet to be determined why aircraft fell. (Haaretz and Ynet)
  • Iraq Blasts Alleged Israeli Air Strike in Syria on Forces 'Fighting ISIS' - Syria state television claimed the U.S. was behind an attack which killed 22 of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces, while CNN reported Monday, citing a U.S. official, that in fact Israel was behind the attack. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Warplanes Strike Syrian Opposition-held Southwest Near Jordan, Israel Borders - The raids hit the area of al-Masika village in northeastern Deraa province. Clashes were also underway in the area. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • National security adviser holds secret meetings in Moscow - Meir Ben-Shabbat met with head of Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev to discuss "new understandings" on the situation in southern Syria following Israel's request that Russia prevent Iran from gaining a military foothold there, Channel 10 News reported Tuesday. (Israel Hayom)
  • Iran Hit Potential Intel Jackpot Recruiting ex-Israeli Minister, Experts Believe - Businessmen representing Israeli defense companies were likely exposed to Tehran because of Gonen Segev after they paid him for medical services with a credit card, sent him emails and called him from their cellphones. (Haaretz+)
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guards: No Plans to Increase Missile Range - The Revolutionary Guards' commander announced that their 2,000-mile range missiles were enough to protect their country. (Agencies, Haaretz)

Features:
Night Raids and Attack Dogs: For West Bank Palestinians, Their Homes Are Not Their Castles
Israel's Border Police are increasingly using dogs to attack people in the middle of the night, while soldiers have used creative solutions like welding a door shut and keeping a family prisoners in their own house. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
Living in a War Zone: Why Are So Many Israelis Settling Near Gaza?
In recent years, hundreds of Israeli families have moved to one of the most dangerous parts of Israel. They tell Haaretz what drove them to move to a conflict zone. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The ‘Muezzin Law’ Is a Stain on the Law Books (Mordechai Kremnitzer, Haaretz+) Instead of dealing with the noise problem via understandings, and if that fails through enforcement of existing law – the idea is to strike those who did not transgress.
Trump's new immigration policy: The US is imprisoning children and Israel is silent (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) If there is a state and a statesman in the democratic world who must condemn the policy that includes the separation of the children of immigrants from their parents, it should have been the Jewish state and its prime minister.
Only a Reconciliation Delegation Will Bring About a Cease-fire (Eyal Erlich, Haaretz+) In Arab culture there is a traditional mechanism for solving bloody conflicts, a mechanism of unparalleled efficacy that has worked for thousands of years, long before the advent of Islam. Using this mechanism wisely could pave the way to solving the conflict. It is based on a reconciliation delegation – individuals who are not a party to the conflict, whose only goal is to bring about an end to the bloodletting. Hudna is apparently stronger than Middle Eastern despair, and it returns now and then, offering itself up repeatedly. Especially now, when the situation between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is speeding toward another blow-up that won’t solve a thing, this is once again a good time to put the issue on the table – at least in the way one of my partners and I saw it.
With all due respect to strategic considerations, a country cannot abandon a whole part of its land (Kalman Liebeskind, Maariv) Beyond the laziness that we are broadcasting, and the fact that our deterrence does not exist in the face of a primitive group of terrorists, the state has a responsibility that it has no right to disassociate from.
Needed: A decisive response (Maj. Gen. (ret.) Gershon Hacohen, Israel Hayom) Just because incendiary kites launched from Gaza are not lethal weapons does not mean they are not an attack on our sovereignty, and Israel must respond accordingly.
Nine Reasons the Israel-Palestine Struggle Cannot Be Solved (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) Why can't we, two intelligent, resourceful and historically knowledgeable peoples, manage to resolve our excruciating conflict, a struggle now much older than any Israeli or Palestinian alive?
The Iranian connection: Gonen Segev’s narcissism and potential damage (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) The former minister’s affair with the Iranians didn’t begin in 2012; it began in the 1990s, when he was operated by an Israeli Arab Hezbollah agent. His megalomania and greed turned him into easy prey for foreign intelligence agencies, and the knowledge he gained—in combination with Google Maps—could have been quite helpful for the Iranian intelligence.
**The Israeli Student's Map of Israel (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) In a class of 40 university students, only one knew what the Green Line is – not much of a surprise in a country where nationalism must be religious.
The arrival of (Trump envoys) Greenblatt and Kushner must worry everyone who knows Netanyahu (Prof. Arieh Eldad, Maariv) The arrival of Trump's emissaries to our respective regions suggests that Trump is not going to make do with just one achievement, and he presses a broad front. This visit should concern all the Land of Israel loyalists.
A Chain of Mideast Events That Leads to the Foiling of Iran (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Airstrikes in Syria and Yemen are being accompanied by diplomatic efforts including Netanyahu's visit to Jordan. Even the Trump administration is perking up.
Don’t count the kippahs: The IDF does not have to operate like the Ministry for Social Equality (Avishai Greenzweig, Maariv) If the IDF General Staff forum has to include in all of its considerations for promoting officers whether there are too many or too few religious division commanders, this will be the beginning of the end of the grand forum.
The One Place Europe's anti-Semitic Far Right Is Confident of Winning the Jewish Vote (Shimon Stein and Moshe Zimmerman, Haaretz+) No ‘moderating' dialogue is possible with Europe’s populist, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim 'axis' - only collaboration. And that’s what Israel has chosen.
Israel’s defense establishment is abandoning the southern residents (Alexander J. Apfel, Ynet) The government’s reluctance to respond to the incendiary kite-flyers with lethal force highlights yet another example of southern residents being expected to accept their beleaguered existence. It reflects characteristic pandering to the international community and an irrational fear of a military escalation. The search for a technological solution in the form of drones only demonstrates Israel’s resignation to the notion that the threat of dozens of daily blazes will forever continue.
In Turkish Elections, Erdogan Could Well Be Israel’s Best Bet (David Lerner, Haaretz+) Days after the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, Erdogan’s party voted down a bill to ditch all previous agreements with Israel and sever economic ties, which only increased criticism from the opposition.
A difficult but necessary task (Meir Indor, Israel Hayom) The time has come for Israel to change its policy on senior Palestinian officials who like to talk peace while waging an international campaign to boycott Israel and incite to murder.


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

Recent Entries