APN's daily news review from Israel
Sunday August 2, 2015
Quote of the day:
“More than feeling ashamed, I feel pain. Pain for the murder of a little baby. Pain that my people have
chosen the path of terror and have lost their humanity. Their way is not my way. Their way is not our way.
Their way is not the way of the State of Israel and not the way of the Jewish people. Unfortunately, until now,
we have treated the phenomenon of Jewish terror loosely. Maybe we didn’t internalize that we are facing an
ideological group, determined and dangerous which aims to destroy the delicate bridges we build with great
labor.”
--President Reuven Rivlin in his speech at the protest rally in Jerusalem against Israeli violence and in a post on his Facebook page.
--President Reuven Rivlin in his speech at the protest rally in Jerusalem against Israeli violence and in a post on his Facebook page.
You Must Be Kidding:
"Shame on you," "You are not my president," "You do not represent me in any way," "The President of the Arabs, not the Jews."
--Some of the comments and curses written on the Facebook page of President Reuven Rivlin after he condemned the attack by Jewish terrorists, who killed a Palestinian baby.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Jewish terror in the West Bank: Whole family burned south of Nablus/Shchem
- The price of leniency for violence // Amos Harel
- Settlers of Sa-Nur and the Duma attackers are a national burden // Amir Oren
- The shock won’t be enough to bring a policy change // Chemi Shalev
- Will the right-wing finally come to its senses? // David Grossman
- Thousands demonstrated across the country following the terror attacks at the Gay Pride Parade and in Duma
- The chosen people // Gideon Levy
- Light rail works in the heart of Tel-Aviv to begin today
- Harsh report on prison conditions in Israel
- Representatives of colleges received donations from gas companies – and testified in favor of them
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The house is burning // Eshkol Nevo (author)
- Hunt for the Jewish terrorists who burned to death the baby Ali Dawabsha; Security establishment fears revenge attacks
- I am ashamed // Rubi Rivlin (printed in Hebrew and Arabic)
- Hopelessness met hopelessness // Nahum Barnea
- We are not better // Sima Kadmon
- My heart burned /// Hussein Dawabsheh
- The Jewish jihad // Alex Fishman
- With hands tied // Yossi Yehoshua
- Spirit of the commander // Eitan Haber
- They lost their humanity // Noah Klieger
- Fell asleep on guard // Sever Plocker
- Pride in the face of hatred – The stabbing at the Gay Pride Parade and the murder of the Palestinian baby brought thousands to the streets
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Battling the hatred – Thousands took to the streets at protest rallies in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem against violence in Israeli society, which reached its climax at the stabbing attack at Jerusalem’s Gay Pride Parade and with the firebomb at Duma village; The uncle of the baby, Ali, who was burned to death in his house: “I don’t believe that Israel will find the murderers”; Prime Minister: “Despicable hate crime”; President Rivlin condemned the act – and was attacked with invectives on social media networks
- Fear in the security establishment of a wave of Palestinian revenge attacks against Jews
- The suspect in the stabbing in Jerusalem: I don’t accept the court’s authority
- Wake-up call // President Reuven Rivlin
- To be free of the crazies // Shimon Peres
- Riots of the year 5775 // Ben Caspit
- Start really working // Yossi Melman
- A country in decline // Alon Ben-David
- Traffic jams ahead
- The goal: Lowering the cost of living
- Greek sulha (reconciliation)
Israel Hayom
- Put out the flames of hatred
- (Defense Minister) Yaalon: Administrative detention for Jews for whom there is intelligence information about terror activities; Netanyahu: “There are radicals on the edge. Good that the leadership unites against them”
- Fight against the small racist among us // Ran Resnick on the stabbing at the Gay Pride Parade
- National responsibility (of the Israeli media), not flaming enmity // Haim Shine
News Summary:
Quick Hits:
- Beit El: Building resumes atop ruins of razed structures - Settlers at Samaria community begin construction at contested site despite lingering legal uncertainty. "We are duty-bound to further develop the settlement enterprise," Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely says at groundbreaking ceremony. (Israel Hayom)
- Destruction of Palestinian villages is not a matter of perspective - An NGO has issued a second edition of its successful Nakba map, showing 601 Palestinian villages and 194 Syrian villages destroyed in 1948 and 1967, respectively, as well as destroyed Jewish communities. (Haaretz+)
- MK Bezalel Smotrich managed to ignite the wrath on social networks - Controversial Habayit Hayehudi MK addressed single-sex marriage and the Gay Pride Parade and wrote on Twitter: “The witch hunt has began. Anyone who dares to oppose single-sex marriage and the Abomination Parade is arrested by the police. Surreal. Black day for democracy.” Other MKs condemned his words. (Maariv)
- Israel Police to probe failure to monitor Jerusalem gay pride parade assailant - Yishai Schlissel, who served 10 years for 2005 parade stabbing attack, urged self-sacrifice against 'abomination parade' following his recent release. (Haaretz+)
- A senior Israeli officer: "(Palestinian President) Abu Mazen has made a major contribution to the stability of (Israeli) security" - Military official said that “The security coordination is a red line for (Mahmoud Abbas), and he holds it and preserves it at all costs. He says things that no Arab leader declares – including that security coordination with Israel is holy." He also said that the PA and Hamas are getting assistance from other countries to change the status quo: "You can see it in the cascade of initiatives that are expected, including from the French and New Zealanders at the UN." (Maariv)
- Israeli settler runs over Palestinian firefighter near Hebron - Locals said firefighter Imad al-Salayma was hit by a settler's car while Palestinian firefighters were putting out a fire in the woods near the settlement. (Maan)
- Netanyahu and Obama step up battle to win U.S. public opinion on Iran deal - Both leaders to make major speeches this week in what each views as a critical contest to garner support for their opposing stands on the nuclear accord. (Haaretz+)
- Netanyahu will address U.S. Jews on Iran deal in live webcast speech - Prime minister plans webcast to be broadcast across U.S. in attempt to swing tides against nuclear accord. (Haaretz)
- Following Cairo visit for security talks, Kerry to head to Qatar - After meeting with Egyptian officials about risks posed by Islamic State in Sinai, human rights issues and bolstering the Egyptian economy, U.S. secretary of state to travel to Qatar to try to ease Arab concerns about the Iran nuclear deal. (Israel Hayom)
- Arsonists set fire to Hamas leader's car - Hamas leader and former Palestinian Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Wasfi Qabaha, said his parked carwas partially torched in front of his home in the al-Basatin neighborhood of Jenin when the arsonists hurled a Molotov cocktail at the car from a speeding vehicle. (Maan)
- Computer games curb PTSD symptoms in veterans, Israeli-U.S. study finds - Former soldiers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder saw a reduction of anxiety, hyper-vigilance and other symptoms after one month of brief training sessions. (Haaretz)
- 'Blue Beach' offers Gazans a glimpse of the good life - A new 163-room resort has become crowning jewel of Gaza's coastline, with many of Strip's elite flocking to sit by manicured poolside. (Agencies, Ynet)
- UN: At least 1,332 Iraqis killed by violence in July - UN mission to Iraq says figure includes over 800 civilians; number of wounded exceeds 2,000. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- U.S. to deliver 8 F-16 aircraft to Egypt within 2 days - As part of military package unfrozen earlier this year, an additional 4 aircraft would be sent to Egypt this fall. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Report: 3 Chechen women scam ISIS out of thousands of dollars - The women were contacted online by Islamic State militants, who offered money for them to travel to Syria. The women took the cash, but never showed up. (Haaretz)
- Nusra Front in Syria claims to have detained U.S-trained rebels - Pentagon casts doubt on assertion that Al-Qaida's Syria affiliate has apprehended members of Syrian rebel group 'Division 30,' whom the jihadist group describes as U.S. agents. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- The sports event where Iran and Israel are friends - Unlike in most competitions, where Iranian athletes tend to avoid meeting Israelis, relations are warmer at the Special Olympics; members of the Islamic Republic's delegation have no problem being photographed with their supposed enemies. (Ynet)
Features:
Letters to the Editor: Dinner With the Netanyahus and Srebrenica (Haaretz)
The Antiquities Thief Who Became One of Britain's Richest Men
Shlomo Moussaieff, who died in July at 92, lived a life that could have been lifted straight from the pages of 'One Thousand and One Nights.' (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
The Antiquities Thief Who Became One of Britain's Richest Men
Shlomo Moussaieff, who died in July at 92, lived a life that could have been lifted straight from the pages of 'One Thousand and One Nights.' (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu needn't worry - Iran is already here (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) The false propaganda about the settlements’ importance to Israeli security went
up in flames Friday, once and for all, in the West Bank village of Duma.
What is the price tag for Jewish terrorists? (Tova Tzimuki, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu thwarted the attempt to define Jewish 'price tag' perpetrators as terrorists; the courts are giving them light sentences; the severity of the acts increases - but nothing has changed.
Deadly West Bank arson surprised no one in Israel's defense establishment (Chaim Levinson, Haaretz+) The arson on Friday morning in which a Palestinian infant was burned to death was preceded by attempted attacks, which miraculously failed.
The riots of 5775 (the present Jewish year) (Ben Caspit, Maariv) What needs to bother us more than the atrocious terrorist attack perpetrated by rioters at the home of the Dawabsheh family is the atmosphere. A foul wave of hatred, incitement, extremism and intolerance are washing over the country, flooding the streets and in its center is a poison of evil.
All Israelis are guilty for setting a Palestinian family on fire (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It’s simply not possible to cheer for the brigade commander who shoots a Palestinian teenager, and then be shocked by settlers who throw a firebomb at an inhabited house.
How to stop Jewish jihad (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) They are no different than ISIS; there may only be a handful of these Jewish terrorists, but it is enough to divide Israeli society and lead to war with the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.
A lethal product of Israel's settlements (Haaretz Editorial) The killing of a Palestinian baby, who was burned to death by a firebomb thrown into his home, was no bolt from the blue.
Shin Bet without teeth (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth) In light of the impressive success of the Shin Bet to thwart Palestinian terror, the dismal results in dealing with Jewish terrorists is striking. Time after time homes, mosques and fields were burned in the West Bank and the guilty were not arrested. The head of the Shin Bet must adamantly demand: Give us the tools to fight the Jewish extremists.
Israel's meekness in the face of Jewish extremism carries a heavy price (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The terrorists who murdered Palestinian infant Ali Saad Dawabsheh have exacerbated the situation in the territories to its most dangerous since the last Gaza war.
The leading handful of violent settlers (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet – written before the Jewish terror attack in Duma) The group of settlers clashing with security forces tarnishes the image of all settlers, most of whom are law-abiding citizens who have nothing to do with violence and provocations.
Like the Newtown massacre, the Palestinian baby’s murder won’t change a thing (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Israeli right-wing leaders and NRA supporters in America view calls for change as cynical ploys by political opponents.
'Hatikva' (national anthem) is simply out of date (Susie Becher, Yedioth/Ynet) The time has come for a new, inclusive national anthem – one that reflects the vision of the modern State of Israel and can be sung by all citizens regardless of their religion, race or sex.
For Israeli defense minister, July is the cruelest month (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Moshe Ya’alon has been outmaneuvered by other ministers in regard to the Beit El settlement and proposed IDF cuts, dealing a blow to his long-term hopes of succeeding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
After Beit El, settlers learn violent threats pay off (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) How do you get Netanyahu to approve new housing units? You threaten soldiers. That is the lesson learned this week from the demolition saga of two West Bank structures.
Say no to collective blame (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Just because some deranged individual did what he did doesn't mean we can ostracize everyone who criticized the gay pride parade.
We Are to Blame for the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade Stabbing (Dr. Samuel Lebens, Haaretz+) We in the religious Jewish community have created a climate in which a 'bad seed' could come to think that murderous violence was a holy thing to do.
Why the Israeli government’s condemnation of Jerusalem Gay Pride attack is hollow (Aeyal Gross, Haaretz+) Behind the pinkwashing, it turns out that homophobia in its worst forms exists within the coalition.
Start really working: Treat Jewish terror like Palestinian terror (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and even (Habayit Hayehudi chief Naftali) Bennett, who were shocked at this latest act of terrorism, must show their mouths and hearts are equal, that there is truth to their statements and immediately order the Shin Bet, the police and the state prosecution to use all means available to a democratic state.
Our Political Decisions Are Based More on Emotion Than Reason and Logic (Eyal Winter, Haaretz+) Our craving for ideology means that we are partial to ideological leaders. But we need leaders who will make smart decisions that are aligned with the public interest.
No more condemnations; Jewish terror requires action (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The two hate crimes which shocked Israelis over the weekend drew condemnations from all parts of the political spectrum, but it's unlikely there will be any action to prevent the next attacks.
What really unites Israel’s right, left and center (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Marijuana is as common among West Bank settlers as it is among Tel Aviv doctors and lawyers.
We want human leaders, not robots (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) We don't need a perfect leader who is never embarrassed, doesn't cry or laugh at critical moments and doesn't rest his feet on his desk. We want a leader who knows how to loosen his tie and who hesitates 66 times before cutting short the life of a soldier or a civilian as a result of his decisions.
Meet Israel's minister of incitement (Haaretz Friday Editorial) Since Yariv Levin was appointed minister, his scandalous utterances, which were always extreme, have become even more radical.
Meretz is all that remains of the Israeli left - and is more relevant than ever (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) Don't scorn the 'purists,' the 'refined' and the 'not pragmatic,' who are the salt of the earth, and without whom we are left only with the clods.
The demolition that sidelined Pollard (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) Our collective focus this week should have been Jonathan Pollard's impending release after 30 years in a U.S. prison, but what will be remembered is the unfortunate remark by Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev, seeking to level the High Court of Justice.
Jonathan Pollard is no prisoner of Zion (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz+) Let's reserve the celebratory receptions and torch-lighting honors for our real heroes.
A security zone designed to thwart Kurdish autonomy (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Washington has let Turkey establish an anti-ISIS buffer zone in Syria. It’s a dual-purpose buffer zone.
What is the price tag for Jewish terrorists? (Tova Tzimuki, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu thwarted the attempt to define Jewish 'price tag' perpetrators as terrorists; the courts are giving them light sentences; the severity of the acts increases - but nothing has changed.
Deadly West Bank arson surprised no one in Israel's defense establishment (Chaim Levinson, Haaretz+) The arson on Friday morning in which a Palestinian infant was burned to death was preceded by attempted attacks, which miraculously failed.
The riots of 5775 (the present Jewish year) (Ben Caspit, Maariv) What needs to bother us more than the atrocious terrorist attack perpetrated by rioters at the home of the Dawabsheh family is the atmosphere. A foul wave of hatred, incitement, extremism and intolerance are washing over the country, flooding the streets and in its center is a poison of evil.
All Israelis are guilty for setting a Palestinian family on fire (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It’s simply not possible to cheer for the brigade commander who shoots a Palestinian teenager, and then be shocked by settlers who throw a firebomb at an inhabited house.
How to stop Jewish jihad (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) They are no different than ISIS; there may only be a handful of these Jewish terrorists, but it is enough to divide Israeli society and lead to war with the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.
A lethal product of Israel's settlements (Haaretz Editorial) The killing of a Palestinian baby, who was burned to death by a firebomb thrown into his home, was no bolt from the blue.
Shin Bet without teeth (Yossi Yehoshua, Yedioth) In light of the impressive success of the Shin Bet to thwart Palestinian terror, the dismal results in dealing with Jewish terrorists is striking. Time after time homes, mosques and fields were burned in the West Bank and the guilty were not arrested. The head of the Shin Bet must adamantly demand: Give us the tools to fight the Jewish extremists.
Israel's meekness in the face of Jewish extremism carries a heavy price (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The terrorists who murdered Palestinian infant Ali Saad Dawabsheh have exacerbated the situation in the territories to its most dangerous since the last Gaza war.
The leading handful of violent settlers (Tami Arad, Yedioth/Ynet – written before the Jewish terror attack in Duma) The group of settlers clashing with security forces tarnishes the image of all settlers, most of whom are law-abiding citizens who have nothing to do with violence and provocations.
Like the Newtown massacre, the Palestinian baby’s murder won’t change a thing (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Israeli right-wing leaders and NRA supporters in America view calls for change as cynical ploys by political opponents.
'Hatikva' (national anthem) is simply out of date (Susie Becher, Yedioth/Ynet) The time has come for a new, inclusive national anthem – one that reflects the vision of the modern State of Israel and can be sung by all citizens regardless of their religion, race or sex.
For Israeli defense minister, July is the cruelest month (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Moshe Ya’alon has been outmaneuvered by other ministers in regard to the Beit El settlement and proposed IDF cuts, dealing a blow to his long-term hopes of succeeding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
After Beit El, settlers learn violent threats pay off (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) How do you get Netanyahu to approve new housing units? You threaten soldiers. That is the lesson learned this week from the demolition saga of two West Bank structures.
Say no to collective blame (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Just because some deranged individual did what he did doesn't mean we can ostracize everyone who criticized the gay pride parade.
We Are to Blame for the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade Stabbing (Dr. Samuel Lebens, Haaretz+) We in the religious Jewish community have created a climate in which a 'bad seed' could come to think that murderous violence was a holy thing to do.
Why the Israeli government’s condemnation of Jerusalem Gay Pride attack is hollow (Aeyal Gross, Haaretz+) Behind the pinkwashing, it turns out that homophobia in its worst forms exists within the coalition.
Start really working: Treat Jewish terror like Palestinian terror (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and even (Habayit Hayehudi chief Naftali) Bennett, who were shocked at this latest act of terrorism, must show their mouths and hearts are equal, that there is truth to their statements and immediately order the Shin Bet, the police and the state prosecution to use all means available to a democratic state.
Our Political Decisions Are Based More on Emotion Than Reason and Logic (Eyal Winter, Haaretz+) Our craving for ideology means that we are partial to ideological leaders. But we need leaders who will make smart decisions that are aligned with the public interest.
No more condemnations; Jewish terror requires action (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The two hate crimes which shocked Israelis over the weekend drew condemnations from all parts of the political spectrum, but it's unlikely there will be any action to prevent the next attacks.
What really unites Israel’s right, left and center (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Marijuana is as common among West Bank settlers as it is among Tel Aviv doctors and lawyers.
We want human leaders, not robots (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) We don't need a perfect leader who is never embarrassed, doesn't cry or laugh at critical moments and doesn't rest his feet on his desk. We want a leader who knows how to loosen his tie and who hesitates 66 times before cutting short the life of a soldier or a civilian as a result of his decisions.
Meet Israel's minister of incitement (Haaretz Friday Editorial) Since Yariv Levin was appointed minister, his scandalous utterances, which were always extreme, have become even more radical.
Meretz is all that remains of the Israeli left - and is more relevant than ever (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) Don't scorn the 'purists,' the 'refined' and the 'not pragmatic,' who are the salt of the earth, and without whom we are left only with the clods.
The demolition that sidelined Pollard (Mati Tuchfeld, Israel Hayom) Our collective focus this week should have been Jonathan Pollard's impending release after 30 years in a U.S. prison, but what will be remembered is the unfortunate remark by Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev, seeking to level the High Court of Justice.
Jonathan Pollard is no prisoner of Zion (Yoel Marcus, Haaretz+) Let's reserve the celebratory receptions and torch-lighting honors for our real heroes.
A security zone designed to thwart Kurdish autonomy (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Washington has let Turkey establish an anti-ISIS buffer zone in Syria. It’s a dual-purpose buffer zone.
Interviews:
IDF's secret-keeper seeks censorship reform
As she prepares to retire next month, the chief military censor, Sima Vaknin-Gill, wants a steamlined, modern agency to provide advance 'guidance' rather than 'censorship'. (Reuters, Ynet)
As she prepares to retire next month, the chief military censor, Sima Vaknin-Gill, wants a steamlined, modern agency to provide advance 'guidance' rather than 'censorship'. (Reuters, Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.