APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday October 29, 2014
Quote of the day:
“They were overjoyed to know we were from Israel. In situations like that, politics become
unimportant.”
-- An Israeli couple on holiday in Greece, who helped Syrian refugees whom they found at the entrance
to their cottage.**
Front Page News:
Haaretz
- The punishment of E. Jerusalem: Stricter municipal enforcement
- "Elderly need to stand because Arabs won't give them their seat" - Knesset debate about exclusion of Palestinians from buses in the West Bank revealed
- Senior official in Obama administration: Netanyahu is a "chickenshit"
- Unicef report: Israel is in 4th place in (developed) world percentage of highest child poverty
- http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.623264
- Director of unit at Sheba Hospital: Hospital is not prepared for Ebola
- 30 years prison for Goel Ratzon (polygamist cult leader)
- 'Meitzav' (Growth and effectiveness measures for schools rating): Sharp rise in violence at Arab schools
- "Zero in Human Relations" was the most watched Israeli film this year
- 1/4 page ad: This is the time to meet Palestinians and tour the West Bank - In areas between Qalqilya and Alfei Menashe, between Mascha and Elkana. In English or Hebrew. Contact toursmw@gmail.com - MACHSOM WATCH
Yedioth Ahronoth
- 35% of children in Israel are poor
- Law against Muslim call to prayer
- "I can't refuse money" - Transcripts of former Ehud Olmert aide, Shula Zaken, from testimony given to police
- "This is how I shot Kastner" - 57 years after the dramatic murder of Israel Kastner, which shook the young country and raised bitter issues from the days of the Holocaust, Zeev Eckstein, 81, tells: I had a 'spiritual guide' who pushing me to do it. "Today, I wouldn't have shot him."
- Achtung, penalty - Not only (Israeli) hipsters (to) Berlin: The German dream of young Israeli soccer players
- The new job: After the crash, (tycoon) Nochi Dankner was sent by investors to a website for business opportunities in America
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Senior members of White House: Netanyahu is a coward, arrogant and emotionally blocked
- Gambling on (our lives) // Ben Caspit
- The #1 runner - Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and his wife participated last night in the Tel-Aviv night run race
- 30 years in jail - Heavy sentence for cult leader Goel Ratzon, who committed sexual offense against his wives and children
- Falling in the net: 72% of Israelis would give up sex to remain connected to the internet
Israel Hayom
- "US and Israeli removed the gloves" - Senior commentator Jeffrey Goldberg: Netanyahu 'erased' the Obama administration
- Some 80% of the public against the bill that would hurt 'Israel Hayom'
- 30 years in jail - The nightmare is over: For 19 years Goel Ratzon built himself a community of women and children and psychologically, sexually and physically abused them
- Justice was done // Dan Margalit
- Shula Zaken's testimony to the police against Olmert was revealed
- After B'Tselem: Also Breaking the Silence organization is not allowed for Civil Service
- 3 years after escaping from Israel: Criminal Michael Mor was arrested
News Summary:
A US official calls Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu "chickenshit" as the US and Israel 'take off their gloves', a report reveals that Israel has one of the highest number of poor children in the developed world and a polygamist cult leader gets 30 years in jail making top headlines in the Hebrew newspapers today. Also in the news were Israeli schools, the Jewish ones for having less violence and the Arab ones for a rise in violence - or not, depending on which paper or website you read.
The exchange of criticism between Netanyahu and the US administration has gotten gradually more insulting over Netanyahu's decision to advance plans for 1,060 new housing units in Jewish neighborhoods across the Green Line in Jerusalem. Yesterday, Netanyahu called US and European criticism of the plans as "disconnected from reality" and said their remarks that the construction hurts the peace process "infuse the empty rhetoric of the Palestinians." The US then officially responded by rebuffing Netanyahu and saying it would continue to express its views as well as hinting the plans may have repercussions for Israel globally.
Then American-Israeli journalist Jeffrey Goldberg reported on his blog that a US administration official called Netanyahu a 'chickenshit prime minister' who was 'too scared to launch wars against Iran and more interested in protecting himself politically than making peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world. "He's got no guts." [The remarks were made earlier. There is a question about Goldberg's choice of timing to print the article. - OH] Yedioth reported that Economy Minister and leader of the pro-settler Habayit Hayehudi party, who pressured Netanyahu into making the E. Jerusalem housing plans announcement, said that even Assad didn't even get called such names, that it was an insult to all the citizens of Israel and that this shows that "the present US administration intends to throw Israel under the wheels of the bus."
Another senior US official told Goldberg that unlike the situation from 2010 to 2012, the White House no longer believes that Netanyahu will launch a preemptive strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Goldberg also wrote that after Congressional elections, US policy towards Israel will change drastically, with the end of the assured veto in the UN Security Council and a new peace initiative based on the Arab Peace Initiative: two states on the basis of the '67 borders and land swaps.
Meanwhile, Israel's actions are back in the UN Security Council today because Jordan requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Palestinians over the controversial construction plans. Despite the tension, the US agreed to sell Israel a new squadron of F-35 fighter jets.
Very oddly, the newspapers reported very different things on the same subject: violence in Israeli schools based on Education Ministry statistics. And even more strange, was that the newspaper websites reported differently than the print versions. Haaretz+ was the only paper which was consistent. Violence was reportedly down in Jewish schools (although not according to Israel Hayom,) but violence in Israeli Arab high schools nearly doubled in the last four years. Yet Maariv online reported that there was only a 'slight rise in violence' in Arab schools. Nevertheless, it gave the same statistics as Haaretz, which show a sharp rise : In 2013-2014, 11% of Arab children were involved in a violent event at school compared to 6% in 2009-2010 year. And, 18% of the Arab children were cursed by someone trying to insult them in the 2013-2014 school year compared to 8% in 2009-2010. Maariv print newspaper did not even write about the sharp rise of violence in Arab schools.
A US official calls Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu "chickenshit" as the US and Israel 'take off their gloves', a report reveals that Israel has one of the highest number of poor children in the developed world and a polygamist cult leader gets 30 years in jail making top headlines in the Hebrew newspapers today. Also in the news were Israeli schools, the Jewish ones for having less violence and the Arab ones for a rise in violence - or not, depending on which paper or website you read.
The exchange of criticism between Netanyahu and the US administration has gotten gradually more insulting over Netanyahu's decision to advance plans for 1,060 new housing units in Jewish neighborhoods across the Green Line in Jerusalem. Yesterday, Netanyahu called US and European criticism of the plans as "disconnected from reality" and said their remarks that the construction hurts the peace process "infuse the empty rhetoric of the Palestinians." The US then officially responded by rebuffing Netanyahu and saying it would continue to express its views as well as hinting the plans may have repercussions for Israel globally.
Then American-Israeli journalist Jeffrey Goldberg reported on his blog that a US administration official called Netanyahu a 'chickenshit prime minister' who was 'too scared to launch wars against Iran and more interested in protecting himself politically than making peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world. "He's got no guts." [The remarks were made earlier. There is a question about Goldberg's choice of timing to print the article. - OH] Yedioth reported that Economy Minister and leader of the pro-settler Habayit Hayehudi party, who pressured Netanyahu into making the E. Jerusalem housing plans announcement, said that even Assad didn't even get called such names, that it was an insult to all the citizens of Israel and that this shows that "the present US administration intends to throw Israel under the wheels of the bus."
Another senior US official told Goldberg that unlike the situation from 2010 to 2012, the White House no longer believes that Netanyahu will launch a preemptive strike on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Goldberg also wrote that after Congressional elections, US policy towards Israel will change drastically, with the end of the assured veto in the UN Security Council and a new peace initiative based on the Arab Peace Initiative: two states on the basis of the '67 borders and land swaps.
Meanwhile, Israel's actions are back in the UN Security Council today because Jordan requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting on behalf of the Palestinians over the controversial construction plans. Despite the tension, the US agreed to sell Israel a new squadron of F-35 fighter jets.
Very oddly, the newspapers reported very different things on the same subject: violence in Israeli schools based on Education Ministry statistics. And even more strange, was that the newspaper websites reported differently than the print versions. Haaretz+ was the only paper which was consistent. Violence was reportedly down in Jewish schools (although not according to Israel Hayom,) but violence in Israeli Arab high schools nearly doubled in the last four years. Yet Maariv online reported that there was only a 'slight rise in violence' in Arab schools. Nevertheless, it gave the same statistics as Haaretz, which show a sharp rise : In 2013-2014, 11% of Arab children were involved in a violent event at school compared to 6% in 2009-2010 year. And, 18% of the Arab children were cursed by someone trying to insult them in the 2013-2014 school year compared to 8% in 2009-2010. Maariv print newspaper did not even write about the sharp rise of violence in Arab schools.
Quick Hits:
- Palestinian seriously wounded by IDF fire in West Bank - The incident occurred during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians from Yabed village near Jenin, after stones were thrown at vehicles on road leading to Mevo Dotan settlement, the IDF said. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
- Belgian prisoner in Israeli solitary confinement - The Palestinian Authority department of prisoners’ affairs reported Tuesday that a Belgian security prisoner is being held in solitary confinement in Israel's Megiddo prison after being caught trying to enter Israel illegally. Yedioth quoted Maan’s report, and gave the man’s full name: Alex Maneth. (Maan and Yedioth, p. 23)
- Jerusalem mayor orders crackdown on Palestinian area to curb riots - Instructs municipal departments to enforce regulations and penalties in bid to pressure Palestinian population to act against protesters. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli forces raid school in Jerusalem - Israeli forces on Tuesday raided Silwan preparatory school for boys and attempted to detain students accused of throwing rocks., despite Israeli court order forbidding raiding schools for any reason. Teachers prevented arrests. (Maan)
- Bus rides with Jews 'a victory' for Palestinians, say settlers - Records obtained by Haaretz from a 2013 meet on the proposed bus ban show IDF sees no security threat in Palestinians riding West Bank buses and shed light on settlers' objections to riding with Arabs. (Haaretz+)
- Group: Sick Palestinian prisoner moved to hospital - Hussein Sawada, from Ramallah, suffers from neck tumors and a heart condition and has not received the required medical treatment, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said. (Maan)
- **Refugees in paradise – An Israeli couple on holiday in Greece was shocked to find 38 Syrian refugees, who fled for their lives on a rubber boat from the fighting in their country and arrived at the balcony of the home where the couple was staying. The couple covered them in blankets and gave them help. “They were overjoyed to know we were from Israel. In situations like that, politics become unimportant.” (Yedioth, p. 12)
- VIP status of Palestinian security spokesman revoked after Netanyahu-ISIS comparison - Move follows General Adnan Damiri’s statement that PM Netanyahu was ‘more dangerous’ than the leader of ISIS. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Who has the Mideast's strongest military? - Business Insider's ranking of the region's strongest armies shows money isn't everything when it comes to military might. (Haaretz)
- US and Israel agree on multi-billion dollar fighter jet deal despite tensions - U.S. Defense Department and Lockheed Martin reach agreement in principle on production of eighth lot of F-35 joint strike fighters, which will include the first two to be built for the Israeli Air Force. (Israel Hayom and Ynet)
- Israel is fourth in child poverty in developed world, Unicef says - New report says number of children living in poverty increased by 2.6 million worldwide since global recession began in 2008 to 35.6% of children. [Highest among Israeli Arabs and ultra-Orthodox. – OH] (Haaretz)
- State recommends charging (Arab) MK Zoabi for threatening policemen - Knesset plenum to hold extraordinary debate on Balad party MK Haneen Zoabi's appeal against suspension on Wednesday. (Haaretz)
- Balad party boycotts opening of Knesset winter session - Balad MKs show solidarity with MK Hanin Zoabi, who was barred from plenum sessions and committee meetings for six months, following anti-Israel remarks. Zoabi: "They are essentially saying they don't want Arabs, they only want 'good Arabs.'" (Israel Hayom)
- Israel second worst globally for gender wage equality - Only one other country – Angola – receives lower score in annual gender gap report. (Haaretz)
- Bar-Ilan University presents pope with honorary degree - University President Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz at the Vatican: "We feel the need to speak, in order to achieve coexistence and peace." Pope Francis: "We are all sons of Abraham, and we have the privilege of guiding humanity on the path of peace." (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian Foreign Minister complains to Holy See over Israel university award - Riad Malki wrote that Bar-Ilan university "is one of the institutions most committed to the Israeli occupation and colonization of Palestine" and promotes "hatred and incitement against non-Jews." (Maan)
- Palestinian Prime Minister signs $10 million agreement to repair Gaza home - Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah signed an agreement with the UNDP and the Islamic Development Bank on Tuesday to repair homes in Gaza destroyed by Israel. (Maan)
- Israeli forces demolish homes, steel structures near Hebron - Local resident Mustasem al-Hathalin told Ma'an that Israeli forces and bulldozers demolished four houses, steel structures, and a public bakery in Um al-Kheir village. (Maan)
- Man dies of wounds sustained in Gaza war - Ibrahim Adli Asila,20, from Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip had succumbed to his wounds in Turkey, after Israeli forces targeted his house with an airstrike, killing a number of his family members. (Maan)
- Haaretz wins honorable mention for innovative coverage of 2012 Gaza war - Haaretz wins in Award for Media Innovation category for its live blog of Operation Pillar of Defense at this year's World Media Summit Global Awards for Excellence. (Haaretz)
- Egypt starts evacuating Gaza-border residents to make way for buffer zone - Seeks to put stop to weapons and militant trafficking between Egypt and the Palestinian territory. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Labor MK submits bill to ban free distribute on of Israel Hayom - Sheldon Adelson-owned free newspaper is closely identified with Prime Minister Netanyahu; sources say this could be step toward end of coalition (because members of the coalition are signed on the bill, submitted by MK Eitan Cabel (Labor). (Haaretz+)
- Numerous victims in online fraud targeting Arab Israelis - Extortionist targeted Israeli Arabs, threatning to publish nude photos and videos of them on YouTube; well-known public figures among the victims. (Ynet)
- Pentagon: ISIS fight now costing $8.3 million per day - The new figure reflects an increase in the intensity of U.S. operations against the group. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Israeli tourists take Berlin - US and Israel top list of countries whose residents visited Germany capital in first eight months of 2014. (Ynet)
- Biden to headline Jewish Federations’ General Assembly - U.S. vice president to speak on November 10 at the three-day event in near Washington D.C. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Tel Aviv named one of the world's top culinary cities - Tel Aviv boasts over 4,500 eating establishments and three vibrant markets. Food purveyors are proud, tour guides flock to the Carmel Market with their groups, residents praise the taste and variety available but wonder about prices. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli and Polish presidents open Poland's Jewish museum - 'It is not a museum of the Holocaust, it is a museum of life,' said President Reuven Rivlin at the opening ceremony of the $100 million museum in Warsaw. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Israel to join international tax information sharing mechanism - Move will have dramatic implications for both overseas investors with assets in Israel and Israelis with undeclared assets abroad. (Haaretz+)
Features:
Only 17 remain in 2,300-year-old Turkish Jewish community
Forty years ago there were several hundred Jews in Antakya. The youngest member today is about 60. (Haaretz)
Kicking the Milky pudding
Forget about the high cost of living and the ‘yerida’ migration campaign to Berlin. There are Israelis whose dream is to move to Germany and earn a lot of money as soccer players. A peek into the dream industry that is the craze of the youth in Israel. (Yedioth, ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
'Jews of Egypt': A flawed but praiseworthy documentary
Although Egyptian director Amir Ramses and his generation mostly know about Jews from the context of war with bitter rival Israel, he has presented the community in the early 20th century as the 'good guys.' (Eyal Sagui Bizawe, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Forty years ago there were several hundred Jews in Antakya. The youngest member today is about 60. (Haaretz)
Kicking the Milky pudding
Forget about the high cost of living and the ‘yerida’ migration campaign to Berlin. There are Israelis whose dream is to move to Germany and earn a lot of money as soccer players. A peek into the dream industry that is the craze of the youth in Israel. (Yedioth, ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
'Jews of Egypt': A flawed but praiseworthy documentary
Although Egyptian director Amir Ramses and his generation mostly know about Jews from the context of war with bitter rival Israel, he has presented the community in the early 20th century as the 'good guys.' (Eyal Sagui Bizawe, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
The 9 most destructive things Israel is doing right now. To itself (Bradley
Burston, Haaretz+) Don't turn on the news. If you value your blood pressure – or the welfare of
Israelis and Palestinians - leave it off.
Netanyahu takes our most important strategic asset and destroys it (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The White House has removed its gloves and spoke out in an unprecedented way against the prime minister. Let’s suppose Netanyahu is right, it he also wise? Is he responsible? The Prime Minister violated all the obligations to the US and on the way is betting on all of our lives.
Israel and the war of words (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) In "Making David into Goliath," Joshua Muravchik studies Israel's transformation from darling to demon, particularly on the Left.
The secret ingredient of the Israeli right’s indignation: occupation-denial (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Take occupation out of the equation and everything else falls into place: Obama’s fickleness, Europe’s animosity, Arab sanctimony and the media’s duplicity.
High Court must remain independent (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) There is immense danger in subjecting the High Court of Justice to political interests, therefore it is better to have a High Court that errs, than one that bends to politicians' will.
Netanyahu is campaigning, and the hell with the state (Haaretz Editorial) The prime minister willing to sacrifice vital Israeli interests to ensure his political survival.
Ingratitude in Jerusalem, loathing in Washington (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Damage caused by Netanyahu to Israel-US ties is irreversible at this stage. From now until end of Obama's term, relationship between two countries will shift to a state of maintenance.
God? Not in the Israel Democracy Institute (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Jewish people waited 2,000 years for an independent state just to hear the intellectual Left decree the public sphere God-free?
Netanyahu fantasizes aloud about next coalition (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The bright spot at the opening session of the 19th Knesset was the moral strength shown by President Rivlin.
Netanyahu's motto: Don't show initiative (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) With the redrawing of borders in the Middle East, Israel faces a once-in-a-century opportunity. But Israel's leaders are doing nothing.
Dangerous provocation in Jerusalem (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) Israeli government is failing to make required distinction between building new neighborhoods in open areas and establishing Jewish 'outposts' in heart of Arab neighborhoods.
Anti-Semitism on the Temple Mount (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) The Palestinians, time has revealed, are not only against the agreement made in 1967, but are essentially against the right of the Jewish people to be in the place most holy to them.
Adviser or prosecutor? Israel's attorney general can't be both (Yedidya Stern, Haaretz+) There is a conflict of interest between the attorney general’s two functions and the office must be split in two.
Illegitimately undermining competition (Adv. Dror Strum, Israel Hayom) The anti-Israel Hayom bill is nothing less than an attempted targeted assassination of competition in the newspaper business.
Lieberman, Israel’s pyromaniac at the Foreign Ministry (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) He will never understand that our relationship to the Arab minority is our litmus test for being recognized as a legitimate democratic state.
Netanyahu takes our most important strategic asset and destroys it (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The White House has removed its gloves and spoke out in an unprecedented way against the prime minister. Let’s suppose Netanyahu is right, it he also wise? Is he responsible? The Prime Minister violated all the obligations to the US and on the way is betting on all of our lives.
Israel and the war of words (Clifford D. May, Israel Hayom) In "Making David into Goliath," Joshua Muravchik studies Israel's transformation from darling to demon, particularly on the Left.
The secret ingredient of the Israeli right’s indignation: occupation-denial (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Take occupation out of the equation and everything else falls into place: Obama’s fickleness, Europe’s animosity, Arab sanctimony and the media’s duplicity.
High Court must remain independent (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) There is immense danger in subjecting the High Court of Justice to political interests, therefore it is better to have a High Court that errs, than one that bends to politicians' will.
Netanyahu is campaigning, and the hell with the state (Haaretz Editorial) The prime minister willing to sacrifice vital Israeli interests to ensure his political survival.
Ingratitude in Jerusalem, loathing in Washington (Orly Azoulay, Yedioth/Ynet) Damage caused by Netanyahu to Israel-US ties is irreversible at this stage. From now until end of Obama's term, relationship between two countries will shift to a state of maintenance.
God? Not in the Israel Democracy Institute (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) The Jewish people waited 2,000 years for an independent state just to hear the intellectual Left decree the public sphere God-free?
Netanyahu fantasizes aloud about next coalition (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) The bright spot at the opening session of the 19th Knesset was the moral strength shown by President Rivlin.
Netanyahu's motto: Don't show initiative (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) With the redrawing of borders in the Middle East, Israel faces a once-in-a-century opportunity. But Israel's leaders are doing nothing.
Dangerous provocation in Jerusalem (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) Israeli government is failing to make required distinction between building new neighborhoods in open areas and establishing Jewish 'outposts' in heart of Arab neighborhoods.
Anti-Semitism on the Temple Mount (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) The Palestinians, time has revealed, are not only against the agreement made in 1967, but are essentially against the right of the Jewish people to be in the place most holy to them.
Adviser or prosecutor? Israel's attorney general can't be both (Yedidya Stern, Haaretz+) There is a conflict of interest between the attorney general’s two functions and the office must be split in two.
Illegitimately undermining competition (Adv. Dror Strum, Israel Hayom) The anti-Israel Hayom bill is nothing less than an attempted targeted assassination of competition in the newspaper business.
Lieberman, Israel’s pyromaniac at the Foreign Ministry (Uzi Baram, Haaretz+) He will never understand that our relationship to the Arab minority is our litmus test for being recognized as a legitimate democratic state.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.