News Nosh 09.23.14

APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday September 23, 2014

NOTE: Wednesday is Rosh Hashana Eve, consequently News Nosh will come in its shortened Friday-style form. Thursday there will be no News Nosh and Friday News Nosh will resume.

Excerpt of the day:
(From video clip: Man in van pulls up in gas station and asks attendant (former President Shimon Peres) to fill it up.
Peres (in blue and yellow uniform): Oil, water?
Man: No thank you.
Peres: Two six-packs of water for 20 shekels?
Man: I'm not interested.
Peres:  Do you want cleaning liquid for windshield wipers?
Man annoyed: I'm not interested.
Peres: A camping mat?
Man: Hey, let's get going.
Peres: Okay, a karaoke set?
Man getting angry: I'm not interested, okay?
Peres: Water wings for pool?
Man: No! Can I pay?
Peres: If you keep saying no to every offer, you'll pay a hefty price.
Man: Alright, give me the water wings.
Peres: Drive to peace, it's the only solution.
--From the fabulously funny and witty video clip about Peres' search for a job after the presidency - with some embedded messages about peace and nuclear reactors.**


Front Page News:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The ruling and the protest - High Court rejects for second time Knesset's infiltrators bill and also ordered closure of Holot detention facility. In south Tel-Aviv they are furious
  • Liberal, humane // Tovah Tzimuki
  • Verdict with a bad taste // Ben-Dror Yemini
  • Buried in screens - Poll reveals children addicted to cellular phones: 94% of 12-year-olds have one
  • Family Intelligence - General Hertzi Halevy began position as head of IDF military intel yesterday.
  • Governor of Bank of Israel warns, slams Lapid's budget proposal and says taxes must rise
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
Israel Hayom

News Summary:
The High Court rulings canceling the Knesset approved law allowing the imprisonment without trial of foreigners and ordering the closure of the Holot 'infiltrators' detention facility was the top story in today's Hebrew newspapers. Meanwhile, the talks begin in Cairo today over a long-term arrangement regarding Gaza and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in New York promoting his General Assembly resolution for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu won't be there till after Rosh Hashana, next week, but will get one-on-one time with US President Barack Obama.

Ahead of the indirect talks with Israel in Cairo, Fatah and Hamas supposedly met yesterday to iron out their differences to avoid Israel taking advantage of them, Maan reported. And in a conference in Tel-Aviv on behalf of the Geneva Initiative, former Palestinian minister Hisham Abdel Razek said he believed an agreement could be reached in Cairo, "but as long as we do not reach a political and solution to end the occupation, we will continue to live from one war to the next war," Maariv reported. However, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said there were low hopes for an agreement because until Hamas agrees to disarmament, there is no real long-term solution to the Gaza situation. That said, disarmament is not on the negotiating table, but Israel hopes that with by raising the issue repeatedly it will eventually get international support. The upcoming meeting is meant to set the timetable for the talks that will begin after Yom Kippur and Eid al Adha.
 
The high-level meetings of the world leaders at the UN General Assembly began Monday and Abbas addressed an audience of students at Cooper Union telling them he will present the UN with a new timetable for peace talk: “The key is to agree on a map to delineate the borders of each country. I say today to Prime Minister Netanyahu: End the occupation, make peace.” Abbas is promoting the resolution, which he will discuss in a speech Friday to the General Assembly. The resolution to be presented to the UN Security Council states that the borders of the future Palestinian state will be based on the 1967 lines and that the timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank should be no longer than three years, Haaretz wrote. The US and Israel oppose the move and the US would veto the motion at the UNSC. Today Abbas meets US Secretary of State John Kerry.
   
Because of Rosh Hashanah, Netanyahu will not be attending the leadership gatherings taking place later this week alongside the UN General Assembly in New York, explained Barak Ravid. Instead, he will fly to New York Sunday and give his speech, after most world leaders will have left the city. Afterward, Netanyahu will travel to D.C. to meet Obama and discuss Abbas' UNSC resolution, US action against ISIS and negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

Quick Hits:
  • Israel imposes restrictions around al-Aqsa ahead of Jewish holidays - Israeli police on Tuesday morning deployed heavily at all gates of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound imposing restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers ahead of the Jewish New Year. (Maan)
  • Palestinian prisoners who were rearrested after freed in Shalit deal plan warning hunger strike - Hunger strikers include 63 prisoners released in the Shalit swap and subsequently rearrested, most of them following the June kidnapping of three Israeli youths. (Haaretz)
  • Cabinet postpones decision on controversial route of West Bank barrier - Ancient terraces in Battir were designated Unesco World Heritage Site in bid to change route of Israeli wall. (Haaretz)
  • Government to invest NIS 2 billion in south - New plan promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to see government invest special funds in medical, business and transportation infrastructure in southern Israel. Plan includes the construction of new hospital in Beersheba, expanding Soroka Medical Center. (Israel Hayom)
  • Restrictions on Gaza turn reconstruction plans into science fiction - The Strip now has two governments, one run by Hamas and the other by the Palestinian Authority. (Haaretz+)
  • Gaza teams deactivate 3 tons of unexploded Israeli ordnance - The Khan Younis police engineering unit said it deactivated over three tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, which landed in the southern Gaza Strip but did not explode. On Friday, three Palestinians were killed from when an unexploded Israeli bomb that blew up and in mid-August, six people were killed and another six were critically injured. (Maan)
  • IDF honors its heroes for courage under fire - Soldiers received awards for helping evacuate the wounded, fighting on when unit came under bomb attack last year. (Ynet)
  • Sara Netanyahu gets donation for 'hungry soldiers' - Needy soldiers send letter to prime minister, and his wife solicited 300,000 shekels in food vouchers. (Haaretz+)
  • Cutting-edge submarine due to dock in Israel - Dolphin-class INS Tanin stops 311 miles off the coast for a memorial ceremony for the crew of the INS Dakar, which sank in 1968. Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Ram Rothberg: We are committed to continuing the work of the Dakar crew. (Israel Hayom)
  • Lapid tests water on potential bid for opposition chairman - As budget battle between Netanyahu and his finance minister rages on, Yesh Atid officials consider possibility of leaving ruling coalition. (Ynet)
  • He wanted to commemorate (founder of Jewish terrorist organization) Kahane and sparked a storm - City councilman Rabbi Yaakov Halperin (Chabad) asked to commemorate Rabbi Meir Kahane at a dialogue tent to be opened at Safra Square in memory of the 19th anniversary of the murder of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. "There are other deserving and important people, like Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was murdered simply because he was a politician, and they need to be mentioned along with Rabin," said Halperin. (Yedioth Jerusalem supplement/Mynet)
  • Want to be a spy? The Mossad is recruiting - The intelligence agency's glossy website went up a decade ago to boost recruitment for officers and analysts amid increasingly fierce competition from Israel's booming private hi-tech sector. (Haaretz)
  • Mike Harari, 'the Zionist James Bond,' dies at 87 - Former high-ranking Mossad officer founded the assassination unit and commanded the retaliation against Black September terrorists. Ya’alon: He belonged to rare breed. (Haaretz+)
  • 'Iranians nabbed with fake Israeli passports were heading to Belgium' - Kenyan police say man and woman will not be treated as terror suspects, but rather as illegal migrants, and will be charged by immigration authorities for possession of forged passports. (Agencies, Ynet)
  • Russian priest suspected of abusing children is arrested in Israel - Israeli prosecutors reportedly have asked the Jerusalem District Court to approve Grozovsky's extradition to Russia. (Haaretz)
  • Israel by numbers, in 5774: Getting older, staying single, heading for the hills - Central Bureau of Statistics shows men’s life expectancy topping 80 years for first time; population hits 8,252,500. (Haaretz+)
  • Majority of new olim come from France - Some 24,800 immigrants arrived in Israel this year, breaking a five-year record. Increase linked to growing anti-Semitism, Ukraine crisis. (Ynet)
  • Majority of Israelis unhappy with Ultra-Orthodox influence on society - Annual report revealed that 61 percent of Israelis support increased religion-state separation and 78 percent are dissatisfied with the government’s actions on religion-and-state issues. (Haaretz)
  • Interior Min. following ruling on asylum seekers: High Court freedoms should be curbed - Critics and supporters of the High Court's decision to close the Holot detention center split along traditional lines. (Haaretz+)  
  • Israel urges world capitals to cancel travel warnings issued during Gaza war - Foreign Ministry officials fear that every day the advisories remain in effect is damaging to both tourism and foreign investments. (Haaretz+)
  • (East) Jerusalem hospital 'on brink of closure' -  
  • Al-Makased Hospital, one of the city’s oldest, is on the brink of closure due to failure of the Palestinian government to meet its financial responsibilities. Medical official Rafiq al-Husseini warned of the day when “the Israeli flag is raised” on the hospital building. (Maan)
  • Berlusconi: West should support Israel, not Palestinians - Ex-Italian premier says, among other things, that `the majority of Israelis believe Israel should defend itself with the atomic bomb.' (Haaretz)
  • Hundreds of academics sign petition against BDS - Petition slamming boycott movement for 'violating the very principle of academic freedom' signed by Alan Dershowitz and Judea Pearl, among other academics, mostly from North America and Israel. (Haaretz)
  • **Life after Israeli presidency: Shimon Peres joins the job market - In a light-hearted video made by his grand-daughter, the former president delivers homilies on life and the value of experience. (Haaretz)
  • Islamic State urges attacks on Egypt 'guards of the Jews' - Egypt has faced Islamist insurgents since the army toppled President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year. (Haaretz)
  • Islamic State urges attacks on West, calls Obama 'mule of Jews' - Militant group's spokesman mocks Obama, says 'Crusader' forces face inevitable defeat. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • King Abdullah says Jordan able to defend itself against IS - 'Our borders are extremely secure,' Jordanian king tells 60 Minutes; he also asserts it would be easier to force IS out of Iraq than it would be out of eastern Syria. (Ynet)
  • U.S. rejects Iran proposal to cooperate against IS in exchange for nuclear flexibility - White House officials says effort by world powers to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program is 'entirely separate' from coalition against Islamic State. (Haaretz)
  • Israel backs UN move against foreign terrorists, but fears world will lose focus on Iran - Historic Security Council meeting led by President Obama poised to adopt strong measures based on 'muscular' Chapter 7 of UN Charter, Israeli UN jurist explains. (Haaretz+) 
  • Middle East Updates / Some 130,000 Syrian refugees have entered Turkey, deputy PM says - Egyptian jihadi group claims responsibility for Cairo bombing; Islamic State calls for more attacks on Egyptian forces; Iran, Saudi Arabia hold first foreign minister-level meeting since 2013. (Haaretz)
  • US jury finds Arab Bank liable over Hamas attacks - Jurors take less than two days of deliberations to reach their verdict. Nearly 300 Americans who were either victims or related to victims of attacks linked to Hamas sued Arab Bank Plc in 2004. (Agencies, Israel Hayom)


Features:
Palestinian youth build skills, character at Qalqiliya skate ramp 
It takes place every afternoon in Qalqiliya, a city almost completely surrounded by the Israeli separation wall. On a tiny plot of concrete tucked away behind the West Bank's only zoo, youths gather to skate, rap, breakdance, and practice parkour. The ramp has become an escape from the prying eyes of relatives and neighbors who are quick to criticize any deviation from the mainstream. One boy opened up the city's first club, X-Games, and the team has since performed at events across the West Bank, most recently in April at a festival commemorating Palestinian Prisoner's Day in Nablus. Their story has also been featured on Palestinian TV stations and even Al-Jazeera English. (Graham Liddell, Maan+ PHOTOS)

Commentary/Analysis:
Israel's list of popular names reveals institutionalized racism (Haaretz Editorial) List published by population authority failed to mention most popular name was in fact Mohammed, exposing once again how Israel doesn't take into account 20 percent of its citizens. 
Israelis after Gaza: Resilient ... or in denial? (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) The average Israeli at the water cooler or on the street corner wants to discuss anything - except this summer's conflict.
What cabinet's military discussions should actually look like (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) Instead of delving into details of plan presented by IDF, ministers should discuss different alternatives and select best option.
Camp David: The agreement that ripped up the rule book (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The anniversary of the Camp David Accords, which shattered the consensus and served as a basis to the agreements that followed, passed without mention by the Israeli and Egyptian authorities. 
The technological revolution in IDF military intelligence: Cyber ​​attacks instead of the human factor (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Cyber warfare as an attack method (as opposed to protection against enemy attempts to harm computer systems) is a particularly sensitive issue, even though there is seemingly no big difference between that and listening in and intercepting telephone calls. In both cases, it is an aggressive espionage operation. And yet, perhaps because it is a relatively new field, there is a fear of talking about it. And so it was especially interesting to hear this week a senior military source referring to the subject. He talked about the changes - more specifically, about the revolution taking place in recent years in Military Intelligence (MI) of the IDF, and at its center is cyber warfare and advanced communications...This is an ongoing process that began during the time of Amos Yadlin, who was appointed chief of MI in 2006, but received a real boost when Gen. Aviv Kochavi, who will soon be appointed GOC Northern Command, replaced him in early 2011. The phrase "empowering the cyber dimension, as said by the senior officer, shows that this is the only part of MI which received extra manpower. 
Shame Israel wasn't invited to the Islamic State party (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) Okay, so Israel wasn't invited to join the war on Islamic State. That's all right, we know we’re the real spearhead in this struggle.
Peace and introspection (Dr. Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) As Israel confronts complex threats on all fronts, we can expect that even people on the Left will pause to think about things and realize that there is no peace without security.
Iran-Saudi flirtation may change coalition against Islamic State (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Rapprochement may change U.S. objection to Iran's participation in campaign against militants in Iraq and Syria.
Israeli army's gay soldiers must stop persecuting gay Palestinians (Charles A. James, Haaretz+) IDF's 8200 is one of the army's most gay-friendly units – but recent refusenik letter revealed the unit does not shy from aiding Shin Bet to blackmail gay Palestinians.
The shofar: To hear and to listen (Dr. Aviad Hacohen, Israel Hayom) One of the major lessons of the Jewish New Year is revolution.
American rabbis, these High Holidays, talk about Jewish texts, not the Jewish State (Peter Beinart, Haaretz) The Israeli-Palestinian conflict isn't the biggest crisis in American Jewish life. Illiteracy about Judaism is.
Don't wait for 'the day after' (MK Faina Kirshenbaum, Israel Hayom) Israel must encourage Diaspora Jews to make a new life here.
The unrequited love affair between liberal Jews and an illiberal Israel (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz+) We have the right to voice our displeasure about what other Jews - Israeli or not - do, as much as the Americans and French can dislike some of their fellow countrymen.
The top opinion articles from Haaretz in 5774 As the Jewish year comes to a close, Haaretz presents a selection of the outstanding writers and op-eds of the last 12 months, addressing issues from the Gaza conflict to debates within the Jewish world, from Israel to the future of Zionism. (Note, many are behind paywall)
 

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