News Nosh 12.03.14


APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday December 3, 2014

Quote of the day:
“The elections are not over (Lapid's flagship bill for) zero VAT, but about whether there will be a Zionist or extremist country here.”
--Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, the head of Hatnuah.**


Breaking News:
The Israeli Knesset voted to disband itself. Early elections will be held on March 17th.

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The campaign began
  • The people are guilty // Nahum Barnea
  • Banana putsch // Sima Kadmon
  • Because of a caprice // Sever Plocker
  • Who will won // Tami Arad
  • Young couples frustrated: Our dream of an apartment has shattered
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
Israel Hayom
  • After the dismissals, dispersal of the Knesset
  • Netanyahu accuses: "The failed Finance Minister Lapid and Tzipi Livni planned a putsch against me", "They both joined the international condemnation of Israel"
  • Elections of the basic issues // Haim Shine
  • Society or security? // Shlomo Cesana
  • The partners failed // Dan Margalit
  • Shooting inside the APD // Mati Tuchfeld
  • Everything you wanted to know about the dispersal of the Knesset and the early elections
  • Olmert refuses to testify against Zaken's recordings
  • Avi Ben-Zion died of his wounds, after he was mortally wounded on Alon Hwy; Believed that a robbery turned into a nationalist incident
  • Dollar continues to gallop: Reached 3.97 shekels

News Summary:
**Elections! That was the top story of today's Hebrew newspapers. After firing Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Netanyahu said in a televised address, which was criticized as being a 'campaign speech,' that he could no longer run the government with such a contrarian coalition. He also accused both Livni and Lapid of trying to "seduce the ultra-Orthodox factions to oust a prime minister." Both of the fired ministers blasted Netanyahu for acting cowardly. Livni said (as did commentators, see Commentary below) that the election will show if Israel is Zionist – or extremistYesh Atid ministers resigned.
 
The parties will scramble now to see with whom they can make a large bloc. Already, the Labor party expressed opposition in running with Lapid's center-right Yesh Atid party, claiming that a joint list would weaken the left, not strengthen it. Israel's Arab MKs are considering joining forces and making a single party, fearing that separately they will not pass the new higher threshold. However, the Arab-Jewish Hadash party is less excited about the idea. Meanwhile, Labor MK Merav Michaeli has proposed a bill to limit the prime minister's job to two terms, like the US system. Netanyahu is ending his third.
 
The papers also discussed all the things that won't happen because of the 2015 elections. This includes the passing of the controversial Jewish nation-state bill. There will also be no budget passed before July, which will negatively affect many social and health reforms, and the bill regulating the relationship between the state and the JNF won't be voted on.

Haaretz shows what all the different polls say about who will be popular in the next elections (no paywall). 

Quick Hits:
  • Jordan hopes for UN Security Council vote on Palestinian resolution this month - Draft resolution calls for Israeli occupation to end by November 2016. (Haaretz)
  • UN assembly calls on Israel to join nuclear treaty - General Assembly approves resolution in a 161-5 vote; 18 countries abstain. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Putin writes letter of support for Palestinians, but advises negotiations with Israel - In letter to Palestinian President Abbas, Russian president says he will continue promoting resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process. (Haaretz
  • French lawmakers call on government to recognize Palestinian state - Move will not affect diplomatic stance; Sweden became the biggest Western European country to recognize Palestine in October, and parliaments in Britain and Ireland both held votes in which they backed non-binding resolutions in favor. (Haaretz)
  • Israeli forces raid Shufat camp, Silwan in East Jerusalem - Israeli special forces entered the area and toured the streets, firing stun grenades haphazardly, said a Fatah spokesman in Shufat refugee camp. In Silwan, Israeli forces escorted inspectors from the Gichon water company, who uninstalled several water meters, claiming locals had not paid their water bills. (Maan
  • Prisoners submit list of demands to Israeli authorities - Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have given the Israeli prison service 10 demands, which include: resumption of family visits, ending night counts, ending "the oppressive assaults under the pretext of inspection" carried out by forces from outside prisons, which use police dogs, allowing entry of blankets and winter clothes sent by families, and allowing entry of prisoners' medical needs through the Red Cross. (Maan)
  • West Bank Bedouin fighting Israel's plan for forcible relocation - High Court petition aims to stop state relocating 12,500 Bedouin to new town. (Haaretz+)
  • Israel army says Gaza fisherman 'smuggled weapons for Hamas' - Israel's army claims that a Gaza fisherman it detained two weeks ago at the Erez crossing was smuggling weapons from Egypt for the Hamas movement, Israel's Channel 2 TV reported. (Maan
  • U.S. Jewish groups take Israel's government to task over ‘Jewish state’ bill - American Jewish groups outline two broad reasons for opposing bill: fear it will provide ammo to Israel-haters, and fear for the nation's democratic character. (JTA, Haaretz)
  • Teachers fight back, publish proof of meager salaries on Facebook - Campaign called 'Teachers on the Poverty Line' seeks to improve wages for educators; one first year teacher says his salary covers half of his rent. (Ynet)
  • 14,000 young Jews to visit Israel with Birthright this winter - Despite the Gaza war, the summer was deemed a great success, with 27,700 young Jews from 42 countries visiting Israel. This winter, groups of hikers, photographers, social media activists and special-needs youth expected to arrive. (Israel Hayom)
  • Panda diplomacy reaching Israel: China to give two to Haifa zoo - Hopefully, that is. First the Chinese pandas chief has to be convinced that the Haifa zoo is bear-worthy. (Haaretz)
  • Chinese olim have Golani Brigade in their sights - Three members of the ancient Jewish community of Kaifeng who made aliya five years ago are about to enlist in the IDF, and all three want to join the fabled combat unit. (Ynet)
  • Report: Saudi Arabia mulls oil trade relations with Israel - Kuwaiti news agency quotes Saudi petroleum minister as saying that as his country seeks to expand its oil sales, it does not exclude Israel as potential market. Jerusalem and Riyadh have been rumored to have low-key commercial ties for years. (Israel Hayom)
  • Pope meets Turkey's chief rabbi during first official visit - In the final hours of his two-day trip to Turkey, the two hold a 'friendly and cordial' conversation in private. (JTA, Haaretz)
  • UNESCO designates Tel Aviv as a creative city for media arts - A decade after its White City was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site, Israeli metropolis joins network connecting cities around the world to share experiences, ideas and best practices in the field of creative industries and urban development. (Ynet)
  • Egypt court sentences 188 people to death for attack on police station - The attack took place on the day that Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of people while removing two protest camps of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's supporters. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Egypt's prosecutor general appeals Mubarak verdict, citing legal flaws - The court must now decide whether to accept the appeal, which challenges the decision to drop the case against the ousted Egyptian president over the killing of protesters in 2011. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Pro-Israel lobby seeks tougher sanctions on Iran - Pro-Israel group AIPAC wants U.S. to reinstate all economic penalties on Iran that were suspended during nuclear negotiations. Group also seeks ban on Iranian oil exports worldwide. Obama administration believes new sanctions will harm hopes for deal. (Agencies, Israel Hayom
  • Officials: Wife of Islamic State leader detained in Lebanon - Lebanese military source says woman is Syrian citizen, arrested with her son about 10 days ago while carrying falsified ID; DNA tests currently being conducted to verify her identity. (Agencies, Ynet)

Commentary/Analysis:
Terror, religion, PR – what will decide the 2015 election? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) A number of new trends that have surfaced, or are at least more prominent now than they were at the ballot box in 2013, could affect the outcome in this round of voting.
Vote against Netanyahu, save Israel (Haaretz Editorial) If Netanyahu wins again at the ballot box, Israel’s future is in danger.
There is no coexisting with the cancer of bigotry (Rabbi Gideon D. Sylvester, Haaretz+) Vandalism at a synagogue in Tel Aviv and arson at a bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem bring forth one of Judaism's profoundest religious truths: Conflict is the result of ignorance.
Netanyahu and the mistakes (Lilach Segen, Maariv) Instead of turning to the critical mass of the moderate right, Likud is running after the radicals in a pathetic attempt to get them as voters. This is how a party that forgot its assets looks like. 
The surreal Israeli nation-state (Oudeh Basharat, Haaretz+) Arab Israelis are objecting to the threat the bill poses to the equality they don't even have.
Hijacking the Hebrew language on the path to ethnocracy (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Political Judaism has been captured by lunatic nationalism, and all that remains of Judaism as a nationality is the Hebrew language as the symbol of the club, and when the club is going up in flames, the symbol must be saved at least. 
When the government committed suicide (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The third Netanyahu government was not killed by an ideological dispute, an unusual failure or a popular protest. It died because of mutual loathing, because of the prime minister's nonperformance, because it lost its way.
Judaism or democracy? Elections will show Israel's true profile (Ravit Hecht, Haaretz+) This is an opportunity for Israel to look at itself in the mirror and decide what kind of state it is.
Israelis, this election, vote as if it's your last chance; it may very well be (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) No one, it appears, has a lower opinion of Israelis than does Benjamin Netanyahu. There are indications, though, that the feeling may be mutual. Vote this time around. It's worth a shot. 
Another Netanyahu government is not a done deal (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) If five Knesset seats move from the Likud to a party presenting a real rightist-centrist alternative, it will be the end of Netanyahu's rule. Can Moshe Kahlon succeed where Livni, Lapid and Herzog are insisting on failing?
15 reasons why Netanyahu could lose the next Israeli elections (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) A major upset will shock everyone but is perfectly predictable with the benefit of hindsight.
Prime Minister made a gamble on his political life, elections are as open as ever (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Netanyahu plans to decorate the list with impressive stars, but it is unlikely that it will yield significant fruit in the short time remaining. He will have to fight with what he has, and there isn't much, because everyone has always run, is running and will run away from him. 
In Israel, a 'zero tolerance' policy on hate crimes just isn't enough (Ilene Prusher, Haaretz+) How has it come to pass that attacks on institutions that work towards Arab-Jewish coexistence are considered a matter of course? 
The fascist kingdom (Natan Zahavi, Maariv) Natan Zahavi writes about the only artist who rose up against the extreme right. If McCarthy was reborn in Israel, he would be an honorary member among the politicians of his ilk, who do everything to destroy the country.
Who’s afraid of a third intifada? (Sara Hirschhorn, Haaretz+) Not least during election season, Israel’s left, center and right all have strong reasons to exploit the debate about whether a third intifada between Israel and the Palestinians is already here – but for very different ends.

Interviews:
"My father taught us love of people"
After Gen. Saraya Ofer was brutally murdered in an attack at his home in the Jordan Beqaa Valley, his daughter Meital decided to work with bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families for reconciliation. (The Bereaved Parents' Circle Family Forum for Peace) The events of the last summer and what has taken place in the city of her residence, Jerusalem, only strengthened her need to try to her another voice. "I'm sick of it that people think that if someone was hurt by terror so he must hate Arabs." "There is no forgiveness of the murderers. But from that to saying that we need to destroy homes and give it to them, as they said after my father was murdered? That horrified me and my family." (Interviewed by Yehuda Shochat in Yedioth's '24 Hours' supplement, cover story)


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