APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday August 19, 2015
Quote of the day:
"Some will argue that publishing this now is not accidental and aims to embarrass
Israel..."
--Maariv's security affairs correspondent on the release of documents from the US State Department archives revealing that Israel committed not to deploy nuclear weapons.
--Maariv's security affairs correspondent on the release of documents from the US State Department archives revealing that Israel committed not to deploy nuclear weapons.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- IDF destroyed homes of dozens of Bedouin near Maaleh Adumim
- The goal: annexation // Haaretz Editorial
- State to fund long school day for boys in E. Jerusalem to prevent stone-throwing
- Jerusalem Municipality to increase enforcement against kiosks open on Shabbat
- Achievement for isolated farms: High Court ruled in favor of farm in Jerusalem hills
- Parents from Negev arrested on suspicion of involvement in murder of their 22-year-old daughter
- Female asylum seeker claims she was oppressed due to her sexual orientation. State rejected her asylum request saying: “She chose to live a lesbian lifestyle”
- Terminally ill patient fined for smoking cannabis in hospital and municipality refuses to give in
- Actress Rama Messenger passed away
- Dubious partner // Zvi Bar’el
Yedioth Ahronoth
- After the agreement: The (Russian) arms flow (to Iran)
- Spitting fire // Alex Fishman
- Last night: Stones thrown at bus, 4 lightly injured
- Light at the end of the tunnel – Deputy Health Minister Leitzman ordered putting MRIs in all hospital and to operate them 24 hours a day
- Sad ending – Beloved actress Rama Messinger died at age 46
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Fear in Israel: Advanced missiles on way to Iran
- E. Jerusalem: 5 injured in stone-throwing at bus; Paris: Preparations for the ‘government meetings’ with the Palestinian Authority
- The (Mariah) Carey – (Sara) Netanyahu summit
- (Actress) Rama parted from the stage
Israel Hayom
- “We will harm anyone who tries to harm us” – Netanyahu, Yaalon and Eizenkot toured the Northern Command
- Iran won’t be satisfied with only missiles // Boaz Bismuth
- (Public Security Minister) Erdan examining: A police commissioner from outside the police
- After he was killed in Gaza: Friends of Niran Cohen donated their savings to commemorate him
- Escalation in E. Jerusalem: 5 injured from stones thrown at a bus and a car
- Actress and singer Rama Messenger passed away: “She symbolized the good in the profession
News Summary:
New missiles for Iran from Russian and Israeli leaders’ accusations against Iran on the northern border, the Palestinian hunger-striker who rejected Israel’s exile proposal, injuries from stone-throwing in E. Jerusalem and a meeting between the Palestinian President and the Israeli opposition leader were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Israel carried out the largest homes demolition in three years and Maariv reported on the release of fascinating US government archive documents, in which Israel committed not to deploy nuclear weapons.
Palestinian hunger-striker and prisoner, Mohammed Allaan, a 31-year-old lawyer from southern Nablus, awoke from his coma Tuesday and rejected the Israeli proposal to be exiled in exchange for freedom. Allaan agreed to receive fluids for 24 hours in hope that there would be some development in his case either from the High Court, which is holding another hearing in his case today, or from the ongoing negotiations with the military prosecution about his release. Allaan has been on hunger strike over two months in protest against his administrative detention, i.e. imprisonment with trial. (More from Haaretz+, Maariv, Maan, Israel Hayom and Ynet) Meanwhile, Allaan has inspired other Palestinians: 250 more administrative detainees began an open-ended hunger strike to protest their internment without trial or charge, Maan reported. And, in Gaza, dozens of Palestinians held a peaceful sit-in demonstration at the Erez Crossing in solidarity with Allaan.
Four Israelis and one Palestinian were lightly injured in East Jerusalem after stones were thrown near A-Tur at a bus carrying teens from a Jewish-Arab coexistence summer school on cardiology. Haaretz+ reported that Israel has decided to pay for an extended school day for Palestinian boys at all the Arab public schools in E. Jerusalem, in order to stop them from throwing rocks after school lets out.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned Zionist Camp chief MK Isaac Herzog of a third Intifada and said it was vital that both sides fulfill their commitments to start serious negotiations towards peace. Herzog said peace could be reached in two years. The two met at Abbas' offices in Ramallah. Maariv reported that many Israelis wrote angry comments on the photo Herzog posted on Facebook of himself and Abbas. They were mainly angry at the absence of an Israeli flag alongside the Palestinian flag in the photo.
Meanwhile, Israel denied any contacts with Hamas were taking place over a long-term truce and Israel Hayom reported that Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted senior Israelis as confirming that significant progress had been made between Israel and Turkey over reconciliation, following the killing of nine Turkish citizens in the Marmara flotilla affair. And, the Palestinian Authority and Iran discussed appointing an ambassador to Palestine, Maan reported.
Israel demolished over 30 West Bank structures in two days in the largest-scale demolitions of Palestinian homes in nearly three years, leaving 127 people homeless, along with their flocks, in the harsh heat, Haaretz+ and Maan reported.
US archive documents released Monday night revealed that Israel committed not to deploy nuclear weapons, Maariv’s Yossi Melman and Haim Isrovitz reported. “In what appears to be part of the Obama administration's attempts to undermine the criticism of the nuclear deal, rare records of dialogues between Richard Nixon and Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin were published Monday night. The documents indicate that Israel planned that by 1970 it would have ten surface-to-surface Jericho missiles (based on a French missile - YM) armed with nuclear warheads. The publishing of the documents is a seemingly routine part of exposure of historical material by the US Administration. But at this moment in time, against the background of the debate over the nuclear deal with Iran, it takes on a special meaning. Some will argue that publishing this now is not accidental and aims to embarrass Israel, which is vehemently opposed to the nuclear agreement with Iran, and embarrass Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who continually tries to attack the US government and to influence Congress to reject the agreement. According to the documents, which refer to the period from 1969 to 1972, it was demanded of Israel to give a written commitment that it would not arm the Jericho surface-to-surface missiles with nuclear weapons….(According to the documents,) the US administration demanded that Israel sign the Nonproliferation Treaty of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and several years prior Israel committed to join the treaty that was signed in 1968 and which entered into force in 1970, but then Israel used stalling tactics in order not to meet its obligations…In secret discussions that took place with the participation of representatives from the Pentagon, State Department, CIA and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, they also discussed ways for the US to respond in case the Soviet Union, which supported and armed the Arab countries, attacked Israel…. It is not clear from the documents whether Israel provided the commitment demanded by the United States. But the fact is that following the visit of Prime Minister Golda Meir to the United States and her meeting with Nixon in 1969, the US government stopped monitoring the Dimona nuclear reactor. Foreign publications later stated that in exchange for stopping the monitoring, Amb. Yitzhak Rabin and (Prime Minister) Golda Meir gave a commitment that Israel would not be the first to deploy or arm nuclear weapons and apparently also pledged not to conduct a nuclear test. Since then, Israel has not joined the NPT and is considered, according to many publications, the sixth largest nuclear power in the world, with a stock of up to one hundred nuclear warheads.
New missiles for Iran from Russian and Israeli leaders’ accusations against Iran on the northern border, the Palestinian hunger-striker who rejected Israel’s exile proposal, injuries from stone-throwing in E. Jerusalem and a meeting between the Palestinian President and the Israeli opposition leader were top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Israel carried out the largest homes demolition in three years and Maariv reported on the release of fascinating US government archive documents, in which Israel committed not to deploy nuclear weapons.
Palestinian hunger-striker and prisoner, Mohammed Allaan, a 31-year-old lawyer from southern Nablus, awoke from his coma Tuesday and rejected the Israeli proposal to be exiled in exchange for freedom. Allaan agreed to receive fluids for 24 hours in hope that there would be some development in his case either from the High Court, which is holding another hearing in his case today, or from the ongoing negotiations with the military prosecution about his release. Allaan has been on hunger strike over two months in protest against his administrative detention, i.e. imprisonment with trial. (More from Haaretz+, Maariv, Maan, Israel Hayom and Ynet) Meanwhile, Allaan has inspired other Palestinians: 250 more administrative detainees began an open-ended hunger strike to protest their internment without trial or charge, Maan reported. And, in Gaza, dozens of Palestinians held a peaceful sit-in demonstration at the Erez Crossing in solidarity with Allaan.
Four Israelis and one Palestinian were lightly injured in East Jerusalem after stones were thrown near A-Tur at a bus carrying teens from a Jewish-Arab coexistence summer school on cardiology. Haaretz+ reported that Israel has decided to pay for an extended school day for Palestinian boys at all the Arab public schools in E. Jerusalem, in order to stop them from throwing rocks after school lets out.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned Zionist Camp chief MK Isaac Herzog of a third Intifada and said it was vital that both sides fulfill their commitments to start serious negotiations towards peace. Herzog said peace could be reached in two years. The two met at Abbas' offices in Ramallah. Maariv reported that many Israelis wrote angry comments on the photo Herzog posted on Facebook of himself and Abbas. They were mainly angry at the absence of an Israeli flag alongside the Palestinian flag in the photo.
Meanwhile, Israel denied any contacts with Hamas were taking place over a long-term truce and Israel Hayom reported that Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted senior Israelis as confirming that significant progress had been made between Israel and Turkey over reconciliation, following the killing of nine Turkish citizens in the Marmara flotilla affair. And, the Palestinian Authority and Iran discussed appointing an ambassador to Palestine, Maan reported.
Israel demolished over 30 West Bank structures in two days in the largest-scale demolitions of Palestinian homes in nearly three years, leaving 127 people homeless, along with their flocks, in the harsh heat, Haaretz+ and Maan reported.
US archive documents released Monday night revealed that Israel committed not to deploy nuclear weapons, Maariv’s Yossi Melman and Haim Isrovitz reported. “In what appears to be part of the Obama administration's attempts to undermine the criticism of the nuclear deal, rare records of dialogues between Richard Nixon and Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin were published Monday night. The documents indicate that Israel planned that by 1970 it would have ten surface-to-surface Jericho missiles (based on a French missile - YM) armed with nuclear warheads. The publishing of the documents is a seemingly routine part of exposure of historical material by the US Administration. But at this moment in time, against the background of the debate over the nuclear deal with Iran, it takes on a special meaning. Some will argue that publishing this now is not accidental and aims to embarrass Israel, which is vehemently opposed to the nuclear agreement with Iran, and embarrass Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who continually tries to attack the US government and to influence Congress to reject the agreement. According to the documents, which refer to the period from 1969 to 1972, it was demanded of Israel to give a written commitment that it would not arm the Jericho surface-to-surface missiles with nuclear weapons….(According to the documents,) the US administration demanded that Israel sign the Nonproliferation Treaty of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and several years prior Israel committed to join the treaty that was signed in 1968 and which entered into force in 1970, but then Israel used stalling tactics in order not to meet its obligations…In secret discussions that took place with the participation of representatives from the Pentagon, State Department, CIA and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, they also discussed ways for the US to respond in case the Soviet Union, which supported and armed the Arab countries, attacked Israel…. It is not clear from the documents whether Israel provided the commitment demanded by the United States. But the fact is that following the visit of Prime Minister Golda Meir to the United States and her meeting with Nixon in 1969, the US government stopped monitoring the Dimona nuclear reactor. Foreign publications later stated that in exchange for stopping the monitoring, Amb. Yitzhak Rabin and (Prime Minister) Golda Meir gave a commitment that Israel would not be the first to deploy or arm nuclear weapons and apparently also pledged not to conduct a nuclear test. Since then, Israel has not joined the NPT and is considered, according to many publications, the sixth largest nuclear power in the world, with a stock of up to one hundred nuclear warheads.
Quick Hits:
- US concerned over Israeli treatment of Palestinian-Americans - The United States expressed concern Tuesday regarding Israel's treatment of US citizens travelling to the country following recent reports of Palestinian-Americans being denied entry. (Agencies, Maan)
- Shin Bet thwarts shipment of rocket making material to Gaza - Customs officials at the Nitzana border crossing with Egypt, in conjunction with the Shin Bet security agency, confiscate 2 tons of fiberglass. During Operation Protective Edge last summer, fiberglass rockets were fired at Israel. (Israel Hayom)
- PA security: No proof Palestinians attempted stabbing attacks - The Palestinian Authority security forces on Tuesday said that there was no evidence that Palestinians shot by Israeli forces in recent days, in two cases fatally, had stabbed Israeli soldiers. A spokesman criticized the fact that the army and police force were both the investigators and the "executors" of Palestinians. (Maan)
- Arab MK may face assault probe - Police seek criminal investigation against Joint Arab List MK Ahmad Tibi for allegedly assaulting two Israel Prison Service officers guarding Palestinian hunger striker's hospital room. [From print edition: Guards said they demanded from not to enter with his cellular phone and he responded by rudely pushing one aside and saying, "I'm a member of Knesset and can do what I want." Tibi said the guards' demand violated his parliamentary immunity and that they were with him in the room.] (Israel Hayom)
- (Israeli Muslims concerned:) Yom Kippur to once again coincide with Muslim holiday - Arab business owners appeal to open on Eid al-Adha, a significant day of revenue for shopkeepers and small businesses, which falls on the same day as Judaism's holiest day. (Ynet)
- Israeli forces deny Palestinians entry to Aqsa compound, allow right-wing Jews to tour - Israeli forces deployed heavily at all gates to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City Tuesday morning and denied a large number of Palestinian worshipers entry to the holy site, in addition to children taking part in a summer camp, witnesses said. But, right-wing Israelis were allowed to tour the compound under the protection of Israeli police officers. (Maan)
- PM Office spending report spurs calls for transparency - Lack of transperancy and division between the private and official expenses draw complaints by public watchdog groups despite overall decrease in spending at PM's office. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
- Huckabee defends 'Obama marching Israelis to oven' comment during West Bank visit - GOP presidential candidate refers to 'Judea and Samaria' as a part of Israel. (Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- Israel's Military Intelligence monitoring dozens of BDS groups around the world - While the IDF is responsible for foreign groups, local groups supporting BDS are monitored by the Shin Bet. (Haaretz+)
- US and Israel to cooperate on preventing satellite collisions - Israel joins American initiative bringing together countries that operate satellites. Defense Ministry: We will have clearer picture of movement and location of satellites, essential for daily communications, weather forecasting, navigation and more. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli forces detain 11 Palestinians, confiscate hunting weapons - Police said they broke into houses in Bethlehem where they seized five hunting rifles, a handgun and large amounts of ammunition as well as a young deer. (Maan)
- Charter flight brings dozens of new 'lone soldiers' to Israel - More than 200 new immigrants from North America arrive in Israel on special Nefesh B'Nefesh charter flight. Among group, there are 59 young adults who will enlist in IDF in coming months within framework of Garin Tzabar program. (Israel Hayom)
- Israel's volunteer year of service may come to a halt - Due to budget cuts, the year before the army in which Israelis do volunteer work is in danger of being nixed; protesters claim the project 'is a testament to the character of our youth, of its solidarity and humanity'. (Ynet)
- Sen. Robert Menendez says he'll vote to reject Iran deal - Former chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee from New Jersey says he will also vote to override a presidential veto. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Forbes ranks: ‘Chief Censor’ Miri Regev and Facebook Israel CEO Adi Sofer-Tani are most influential women in Israel – Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug= #3, (far right-wing) Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked = #5. (Maariv, p. 14)
- Internet storm rages in India over Israeli cafe discriminatory service - Whether it was miscommunication or a business that prefers serving tourists, the damage has already been done. (Haaretz+)
- Hamas deputy minister detained in Cairo airport - Hassan Asseify, deputy religious affairs minister in Hamas-ruled Gaza, was stopped on his way back from Saudi Arabia. (Agencies, Haaretz and Maan)
- Death toll in Egypt heat wave rises to 106 - Egyptian summers are usually hot, but temperatures this week soared to 114 degrees Fahrenheit in the country's south. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Sources: Egypt to create 'fish farms' along Gaza border - Egyptian security sources said Tuesday that the Egyptian army is planning to fill a kilometer-long trench along the Gazan border with seawater to be used for fish farming. The project, aimed at preventing smuggling tunnels into Gaza, will also serve a commercial purpose. (Maan and Maariv)
- Libya, Egypt call on Arab countries to help combat Libyan ISIS affiliate - Counter-terrorism efforts 'undermined' by UN arms embargo. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- ISIS beheads archaeologist in ancient Syrian city of Palmyra - Khaled Asaad was an 82-year-old scholar who worked for over 50 years as head of antiquities in Palmyra. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Being a Jew in Iran
They walk in the street without fear and with a kippah on their head. And in contradiction to what is happening in Europe, no one makes any anti-Semitic remarks to them. Jews in Iran have synagogues (13 active ones just in Teheran), private schools and kindergartens, a hospital and even a small old age home. They also don’t hesitate to speak out against senior members of government who deny the Holocaust or express anti-Semitic views. On the other hand, they express loyalty to the regime and choose every day anew to stay and live there. What acts in favor of the Jews is their permanent presence in Iranian society, where they never isolated themselves in ghettos, and where they are perceived – and they perceive themselves – as Iranians first of all. The Jews are embroidered into 2,700 years of Iranian history, what allows the government to completely separate between Zionism – which is perceived as a negative outside source – and between the Jewish citizens of Iran. But the hinted significance is that the Jews of Iran need to be careful not to be perceived as showing interest or involvement in Israel, even though it’s an open secret that many of them have family in Israel and many even visit Israel traveling via a third country. A look from within at the Jewish community in Iran with many surprising conclusions. (Larry Kohler-Esses, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover. Full story in English at www.forward.com)
Enjoying a quiet picnic in the settlement-free northern West Bank
10 years since the disengagement: A recreation area was set up near the spot of the evacuated settlements of Ganim and Kadim, but it's under IDF control. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
British tourist under attack for expressing love for Israel
Emma Carter from London came under attack from friends on Facebook after posting about her love for Israel and its people, leading her to close down her account. (Yaniv Halili, Yedioth/Ynet)
Where does Bernie Sanders stand on Israel?
The Jewish senator from Vermont, currently leading Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, hasn't managed to get away from questions regarding his stance on Israel. (Ron Kampeas, JTA, Haaretz)
In Palestinian hip hop, even love songs become political
A Palestinian boy and a Jewish girl get stuck in the elevator. The girl changes her military uniform to civilian clothes, and the boy pays her a compliment: “Looks better on you, the green don’t suit you.” The girl responds: “Without the sniper lens, you look cute too.” This is the scene described in “Mama I fell in love with a Jew”, one of the most recent hits from Palestinian hip hop group DAM. (Anna Kokho, Maan)
Can You Take the Politics Out of Jerusalem's Hip Hop Scene?
This week's Frontline event showcased local rap and hip hop groups that have been active in the city for over a decade. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
They walk in the street without fear and with a kippah on their head. And in contradiction to what is happening in Europe, no one makes any anti-Semitic remarks to them. Jews in Iran have synagogues (13 active ones just in Teheran), private schools and kindergartens, a hospital and even a small old age home. They also don’t hesitate to speak out against senior members of government who deny the Holocaust or express anti-Semitic views. On the other hand, they express loyalty to the regime and choose every day anew to stay and live there. What acts in favor of the Jews is their permanent presence in Iranian society, where they never isolated themselves in ghettos, and where they are perceived – and they perceive themselves – as Iranians first of all. The Jews are embroidered into 2,700 years of Iranian history, what allows the government to completely separate between Zionism – which is perceived as a negative outside source – and between the Jewish citizens of Iran. But the hinted significance is that the Jews of Iran need to be careful not to be perceived as showing interest or involvement in Israel, even though it’s an open secret that many of them have family in Israel and many even visit Israel traveling via a third country. A look from within at the Jewish community in Iran with many surprising conclusions. (Larry Kohler-Esses, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover. Full story in English at www.forward.com)
Enjoying a quiet picnic in the settlement-free northern West Bank
10 years since the disengagement: A recreation area was set up near the spot of the evacuated settlements of Ganim and Kadim, but it's under IDF control. (Amira Hass, Haaretz+)
British tourist under attack for expressing love for Israel
Emma Carter from London came under attack from friends on Facebook after posting about her love for Israel and its people, leading her to close down her account. (Yaniv Halili, Yedioth/Ynet)
Where does Bernie Sanders stand on Israel?
The Jewish senator from Vermont, currently leading Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, hasn't managed to get away from questions regarding his stance on Israel. (Ron Kampeas, JTA, Haaretz)
In Palestinian hip hop, even love songs become political
A Palestinian boy and a Jewish girl get stuck in the elevator. The girl changes her military uniform to civilian clothes, and the boy pays her a compliment: “Looks better on you, the green don’t suit you.” The girl responds: “Without the sniper lens, you look cute too.” This is the scene described in “Mama I fell in love with a Jew”, one of the most recent hits from Palestinian hip hop group DAM. (Anna Kokho, Maan)
Can You Take the Politics Out of Jerusalem's Hip Hop Scene?
This week's Frontline event showcased local rap and hip hop groups that have been active in the city for over a decade. (Itay Stern, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Is Hamas our new partner for peace? (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) While Abbas has reached the conclusion that there is no point in conducting
talks with Netanyahu's government, Hamas suddenly looks like a serious partner.
Crooked rationale: For Netanyahu, the worse the situation - the better (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) The crackdown on the High Court, the insurgency of the Ethiopian-Israelis, the harm to LGBT people and murderous Islamists meters from our own borders - anything that is not tied to Iran, Obama or the gas agreement does not bother Netanyahu.
West Bank demolitions: Not enforcement – expulsion (Haaretz Editorial) Since the beginning of the year Israel has demolished over 300 Palestinian structures - the purpose is clear: to pressure local Palestinians to leave the Israeli controlled Area C.
ISIS gains from Turkey's cynical policies and the West's weakness (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) Turkey turns a blind eye to jihadists entering Syria through its borders, and is not held accountable for it, while the US-led coalition misses opportunities to inflict real damage on ISIS.
'Kurdish Shakira' takes on ISIS (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The rising trend of anti-Islamic State video clips stems from a need to provide an alternative to the organization's own Internet blitz.
The problems of a truce (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) A number of key questions must be answered before any deal is reached with Hamas.
Israeli missing in Gaza is an opportunity for Hamas to surprise us (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The Mengistu case is an opportunity for Hamas to appeal to common sense and interfere with the established prejudices of the Israeli people.
Ethics, medicine and politics (Smadar Bat-Adam, Israel Hayom) The doctors who guard the rights of hunger strikers are playing into the hands of terrorists.
Raising generations of Jewish terrorists (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) The time for repressing is over: Most of Orthodox Judaism in Israel is being taken over by a violent, racist, messianic theology.
Why saying 'yes' to the Iran deal is safer than 'no' (Jon Greenwald, Haaretz+) The U.S. has to think about how it will cope in the international arena if it rejects the JCPOA after the rest of the world has accepted it.
From Gandhi to Guantanamo: Israel Not Alone in Dealing With Hunger Strikes and Force Feeding (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Israel is far from the first modern government that has struggled with the legal and moral difficulties of dealing with this form of protest.
Crooked rationale: For Netanyahu, the worse the situation - the better (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) The crackdown on the High Court, the insurgency of the Ethiopian-Israelis, the harm to LGBT people and murderous Islamists meters from our own borders - anything that is not tied to Iran, Obama or the gas agreement does not bother Netanyahu.
West Bank demolitions: Not enforcement – expulsion (Haaretz Editorial) Since the beginning of the year Israel has demolished over 300 Palestinian structures - the purpose is clear: to pressure local Palestinians to leave the Israeli controlled Area C.
ISIS gains from Turkey's cynical policies and the West's weakness (Giora Eiland, Yedioth/Ynet) Turkey turns a blind eye to jihadists entering Syria through its borders, and is not held accountable for it, while the US-led coalition misses opportunities to inflict real damage on ISIS.
'Kurdish Shakira' takes on ISIS (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The rising trend of anti-Islamic State video clips stems from a need to provide an alternative to the organization's own Internet blitz.
The problems of a truce (Prof. Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom) A number of key questions must be answered before any deal is reached with Hamas.
Israeli missing in Gaza is an opportunity for Hamas to surprise us (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The Mengistu case is an opportunity for Hamas to appeal to common sense and interfere with the established prejudices of the Israeli people.
Ethics, medicine and politics (Smadar Bat-Adam, Israel Hayom) The doctors who guard the rights of hunger strikers are playing into the hands of terrorists.
Raising generations of Jewish terrorists (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) The time for repressing is over: Most of Orthodox Judaism in Israel is being taken over by a violent, racist, messianic theology.
Why saying 'yes' to the Iran deal is safer than 'no' (Jon Greenwald, Haaretz+) The U.S. has to think about how it will cope in the international arena if it rejects the JCPOA after the rest of the world has accepted it.
From Gandhi to Guantanamo: Israel Not Alone in Dealing With Hunger Strikes and Force Feeding (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Israel is far from the first modern government that has struggled with the legal and moral difficulties of dealing with this form of protest.
Interviews:
'I don't like being called a hero'
Lieutenant Colonel Shai Siman-Tov, commander of Golani's 12th Battalion who was wounded during Protective Edge, talks about his injuries and recovery. (Yedioth/Ynet)
Lieutenant Colonel Shai Siman-Tov, commander of Golani's 12th Battalion who was wounded during Protective Edge, talks about his injuries and recovery. (Yedioth/Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.