News Nosh: 8.3.18

APN's daily news review from Israel
Friday, August 3, 2018

Quotes of the day:
Haaretz journalist Nir Gontarz (Jewish-Israeli) does a phone call interview with MK Ahmed Tibi (Arab-Israeli). Excerpts:
...Gontarz: Sir, allow me to keep bragging, please. You were born in this country, right?
Tibi: 
Absolutely, in Taibeh.
Gontarz: Fine, great. But the law states that the Land of Israel is my homeland, and mine alone. I am the master of the land now, Ahmad.
Tibi: And what about me?
Gontarz: Honorable Member of Knesset, get used to it. This is my homeland only, that’s the law and that’s it.
Tibi: The truth is that no law in the world, Nir, changes historical facts or can shatter beliefs. I believe in equality. I believe that Nir and Ahmad, who are both citizens of the same country, are meant to be equal. But we are not equal. The [nation-state] law comes to enshrine in a Basic Law the fact that you have priority over me. The truth is that since 1985 there’s been a Basic Law on a Jewish and Democratic State, which I take issue with because of the conflict between “Jewish” and “democratic.” When the state defines itself as Jewish, it says that Nir has priority over Ahmad.
Gontarz: I tried to make a bit of fun of the law here, but the truth is that it’s very sad. According to this law, not only do I have privileges that you don’t have, but even a newborn Jewish infant has more rights than you have.
Tibi: It’s truly a twisted situation, and I don’t want to remind the Jews of their history and where laws were promulgated democratically and gave rise to an inferno and hatred. But you should know that the most moving phone calls I’ve had lately are from Jews like you who are angry and hurt, and feel that they have lost something in the face of a wave of racism that denies my existence. A Holocaust survivor told me that she is ashamed and that she feels closer to me than to the sponsors of the law, and she reminded me of my Holocaust speech in the Knesset. No law in the world, even if they demolish my home and even if people are killed, will change the fact that I was born here and my ancestors were born here.
Gontarz: Thank you, Ahmad, and sorry.
Tibi: Thanks, Nir.

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • Good news for the economy - Record rank for Israeli economy
  • The Druze rally - Tomorrow, the protest reaches the (Rabin) Square
  • Nation-state today and in darkness // Nahum Barnea
  • Smell of elections // Sima Kadmon
  • Foolishness and aggression // Meir Shalev
  • Apocalypse not now // Yoaz Hendel
  • Not a racist law // Ben-Dror Yemini
  • Apple is worth a trillion dollars
  • 7 ISIS terrorists, 200 meters from the fence - The dramatic elimination
  • Acquitted of murder after 12 years in prison - Late justice
  • Pride - 20,000 people marched in the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem
  • Don’t start with the Zohar - Deputy Police Commissioner Zohar Dvir doesn’t want the job of Police Commissioner and is giving back his uniform - Interview
Maariv Weekend (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • Elimination in the north: ISIS, 200 meters from the fence
  • Druze leadership: Prime Minister’s plan - a window of opportunity
  • I support the (Jewish Nation-State Law), even without the plan // Ata Farhat (Druze)
  • “Body rolled in a sheet”: Double murder at center for homeless in Netanya
  • Acquittal - after 11 years in jail
  • “They’re pulling a fast one on the Druze” - After 8 years of efforts, the man who proposed the Nation-State Law is proud of his achievement and makes clear: “There is no black flag here” - Interview with MK Avi Dichter by Amnon Lord

 
News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu canceled his visit to Colombia and Israel promised not to assassinate high-ranking Hamas leaders who arrived in Gaza so that both Israel and Hamas could advance an imminent deal with each other and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority with Egyptian help that would lead to the end of the Israeli siege on Gaza and a stop to the aerial kite and balloon arson from Gaza and protests of people at the separation fence. Meanwhile, in the north, Israel killed seven ISIS militants who were 200 meters from the Israeli border with Syria and tomorrow, in Jerusalem the Gay Pride Parade took place without a problem, and on Saturday night in Tel-Aviv, Druze will hold their rally against the Nation-State Law. In a meeting with Druze leaders Thursday night, Netanyahu walked out after noting that one of the participants, Brig. Gen. (res.) Amal As’ad, had referred to Israel as "an apartheid state” and As’ad replied that he stood by those comments. Netanyahu said he wouldn’t accept such an “insult to the dignity of the prime minister of Israel and the dignity of the state” and As’ad later wrote on Facebook that if Netanyahu knew about the statement, why did he invite him and suggested it was planned in advance to torpedo it. And at a ceremony for Druze, Druze protesters also interrupted the speech of MK Avi Dichter, the sponsor of the Nation-State Law. The other big story was that Israel's High Court acquitted a man of murder after he had already served 12 years in prison.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.