APN's daily news review from Israel

Friday November 29, 2013

Quote of the day:

"...Controversy is always good for PR. So far ticket sales are weak, but a protest could help."
--Cinemateque director Alon Garbuz on the storm sparked by a Naqba Film Festival being held this weekend in Tel-Aviv.**

Front Page News:

Haaretz

• The dam broke: Companies charge for billion dollar contracts with Iran
• Returning to the bazaar // Zvi Bar'el
• Nuclear control // Amos Harel
• Leave it to Munich // Chemi Shalev
• The Chief Censor // Arguing it "harmed security," Ashkelon pressed Diskin and Weinstein to open an investigation against a journalist who he said personally pushed him
• Infant injured in head from stone-throwing in Jerusalem
• Team on Lieberman case recommends appeal; Criminal department opposes
• Arik (Einstein)'s words, people's performance of it
• Breslav Yeshiva director suspected of sexual offenses, his son of enormous fraud
• Hipster Allah - Fringe culture of Arab youth in Israel
• Grey market helps students with handicaps

Yedioth Ahronoth

• Summer holiday - will be shorter
• Terror against baby - Avigayel Ben-Tzion, 11-months-old, got head injury from stone thrown on car when traveling in Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of (E.) Jerusalem
• Humiliation of Druze at Dimona nuclear reactor

Maariv

• Peres in closed discussions: Everything is open regarding next elections (Hebrew)
• Today in Maariv: The personal column Arik Einstein wrote before his death (Hebrew)
• Two-year-old moderately injured from stones in Jerusalem (Hebrew)
• Education Minister Piron: "We will set up a framework for tens of thousands of children who never got to participate in summer camp" (Hebrew)
• How is Deputy Religions Minister Eli Ben-Dahan trying to make a tender for the conversion director of the former minister Yitzhak Levy
• Shopkeepers 2013 - Ori Shahori, Orly and I decided to open a community kiosk in Herzliya and we even have a business model // Guy Meroz (Hebrew)
• 50 shades of Masada - 50 years after the beginning of excavations, the heroic ethos of the mountain was never so cracked
• Um al-Hiran or Hiran - Land, ownership and historic justice. How the fate of a small Bedouin village in the northern Negev turn into a spearhead of the anti-Israeli propaganda in the world
• Campaign of lies // Ben-Dror Yemini

Israel Hayom

• Infant injured in head from rock attack in capital
• Hello First Grade, summer-style
• Such a wonderful (Hannukah) holiday
• United in mourning - Masses continued to visit grave of Arik Einstein
• Clashes following prison sentence for murderers of (Jewish terrorist) Natan Zada
• Netanyahu warns: "The greatest darkness that threatens us is nuclear Iran"

News Summary:
Today's two top stories in most of the Israeli Hebrew newspapers was shortening of the school summer holiday and the injury of an infant from stone-throwing on a car in a Jewish neighborhood over the Green Line in Jerusalem. Only Haaretz focused on examining the situation following the Iran nuclear agreement. Interestingly, the papers gave the stone-throwing incident emphasis, with some people calling it 'terror,' while almost never reporting on the similar events by settlers against Palestinian cars, that can be read about here in News Nosh. Articles about beloved Israeli icon Arik Einstein, who passed away this week, continued to fill the papers' pages.

Quick Hits:

• Infant wounded by rock throwers in Jerusalem - Israeli girl, 2, suffers moderate head wound; attack takes place in neighborhood that straddles the Green Line, where violent incidents are on the rise. (Haaretz and Ynet)
• Teen dies en route to hospital amid checkpoint closure - A Palestinian teenager died Thursday after she was unable to pass through an Israeli checkpoint on the way to the hospital. Nour Mohammad Afaneh, 14, died in an ambulance while in critical condition on her way to a Bethlehem hospital. (Maan)
• Palestinian man succumbs to Israeli-inflicted bullet wounds - Mahmoud Wajeeh Awwad, 28, died Thursday in an Israeli hospital from months-old bullet wounds inflicted by Israeli forces eight months. (Maan)
• (Likud Deputy Minister Tzipi) Hotoveli to students: Come to the Temple Mount - Deputy Minister sent a letter to the Chairman of the National Student Association, criticizing the decision to have a student delegation meet with (Palestinian President) Abbas. Said the NSA must express right-wing views too and called on students to make tours of the Temple Mount. (NRG Hebrew)
• Israeli rightists enter Al-Aqsa under armed guard - Over 152 right-wing Israelis entered the mosque compound escorted by Israeli police before touring the area and leaving. A group of 30 right-wing Israelis performed religious rituals under armed guard, with scuffles breaking out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli police. (Maan)
• Education Committee to discuss study of Kufr Kassem massacre - Knesset Education Committee to discuss Monday bill by its Chairman, Hatnua MK Amram Mitzna to insert lessons from the Kufr Kassem massacre into the Israeli education system. The Israeli Border Police shot to death 43 Kufr Kassem villagers, including women and children, on 29 November 1956. (Maariv, p. 6)
• Germany and Britain block Palestinian bid to join international olive trade group - European diplomatic sources claim that letting Palestinians join the council could sabotage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. (Haaretz)
• Israeli Arabs sentenced to two years for 2005 lynching of spree killer soldier - Lynching followed shooting spree in which Kahanist soldier Eden Natan-Zada killed four Israeli Arabs and wounded more than 20. (Haaretz)
• Israeli bulldozers level Palestinian lands near Qalqiliya - Israeli bulldozers Thursday razed Palestinian lands in three villages south of the West Bank city of Qalqilya. Less than a month ago, locals added, Israeli forces notified locals that the lands belonged to the State of Israel, and that Palestinians were not allowed to access them. (Maan)
• Israeli forces demolish Palestinian home in Salfit - Israeli forces demolished the home of Ghanem Mahmoud Abed al-Karim in Salfit on Thursday on the pretext the home was unlicensed. Around 70 homes in the area are under threat of being demolished. (Maan)
• Israel issues stop-work warrants to 10 Palestinians in Jenin - Israeli soldiers entered the village of Barta'a al-Sharqiya, and handed out official paperwork that said to stop building houses and agricultural buildings, claiming that construction was illegal. (Maan)
• Peres makes clear: I do not rule out return to politics - The president will step down in July, but the last word was spoken: the next general election, his associates understood, everything is open. (Maariv, p. 1/NRG Hebrew)
• Opposing events mark day of historic UN vote on Israel - Friday is 66-year anniversary of UN vote on British Mandate. In Beersheba: Second annual day of commemoration for injured IDF soldiers. Tel Aviv: 'Right of return' Nakba film festival. (Ynet)
• **First Israeli Film Festival on Palestinian 'Nakba' - Organization promoting awareness of Nakba organizes film festival in Tel Aviv. 'Our independence is their nakba, and now one people is occupying another,' Cinematheque Director Alon Garbuz says. (Ynet)
• **(Habayit Hayehudi) MK Shaked: Cancel the Nakba Film Festival - In a letter sent to Tel-Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and Justice Minister Livnat, Shaked wrote that the festival to be held over the weekend in Tel Aviv presents "anti-Zionist propaganda films calling for the destruction of the State." (Maariv, p. 7/NRG Hebrew)
• Israel reopens Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza - Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom, or Beit Hanoun, crossing with Gaza on Thursday to allow a delivery of humanitarian aid and fuel into the coastal territory. (Maan)
• UN begins distributing fuel to counter Gaza crisis - The United Nations on Thursday began distributing fuel in Gaza to keep critical infrastructure running as fears of a health crisis grow over accumulating rubbish and sewage. (Maan)
• Qatar to provide $150 million for struggling Palestinian economy - Palestinian Authority announces that Qatar has agreed to its plea for funding. World Bank says that in the first half of 2013 West Bank economy shrank for the first time in a decade, following decline in foreign aid and restrictions imposed by Israel. (Israel Hayom)
• Witnesses: Israeli navy detains 2 Gaza fishermen - Israeli naval forces detained two Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza Strip's southern coast on Thursday. The two fishermen were taken to an unknown destination and their fishing boat was confiscated. (Maan)
• British universities offer guidelines to control hecklers - Israel hopes for an end to instances in which Israeli speakers visiting British campuses are heckled endlessly during speeches and offstage by pro-Palestinian protesters. (Israel Hayom)
• Report: Pope Francis to visit Israel in May - Netanyahu expected to meet the pope next week during an official visit to Italy. (Haaretz)
• U.S. offers to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal at sea - No country was willing to dispose of the deadly chemicals in their territory, which called for a creative solution. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Report: Iran launches largest submarine in its fleet - Iran has apparently launched the largest submarine in its fleet, boosting its naval presence in international waters in major oil shipping routes in Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. Iranian defense minister praises deployment. (Israel Hayom)
• Druze soldiers barred from entering (Israel's) sensitive (nuclear) center - Despite impeccable enlistment record, IDF soldier of the Druze-faith suffer discrimination. New recording reveals 3 IAF Druze soldier were barred from entering Dimona nuclear research center. (Ynet)
• Following interim deal, Iran invites UN nuclear inspectors to Arak heavy-water facility - Iran says will increase production of 5% uranium enrichment; foreign minister says construction at Arak will continue. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Report: Obama, Netanyahu looking for Iran middle-ground - Washington Post journalist says US president asked Netanyahu to stop complaining about nuclear deal; tries to reassure Saudi king. (Ynet)
• UN nuclear watchdog says may need more time, money to implement Iran deal - Islamic Republic invites IAEA to visit the Arak heavy water production plant on December 8. (Agencies, Haaretz)

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