APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday October 19, 2015
Quote of the day:
"What kind of message is this meant to convey to young pupils, who are used to seeing Arab workers as
part of their usual learning environment and then, during times of tension, they are made to disappear just
because they’re Arabs? We must not teach children that every Arab is a threat.”
--Sikkuy’s co-executive directors, Rawnak Natour and Ron Gerlitz, slammed the decision by Israeli municipalities to fire their Arab cleaning workers.
--Sikkuy’s co-executive directors, Rawnak Natour and Ron Gerlitz, slammed the decision by Israeli municipalities to fire their Arab cleaning workers.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Soldier murdered and 11 injured in attack in Beersheva; Asylum seeker identified mistakenly as terrorist and shot
- No longer random knifings // Amos Harel
- Wall placed in (E. Jerusalem Arab neighborhood) of Jabal Mukabber; Jerusalem municipality discussing separating parts of city
- Government approved advancing law that allows body searching anyone, even if not suspected of anything
- Municipalities banning Arab employees from schools
- Construction Ministry advancing establishing two new cities near Kiryat Gat and Sderot
- Likud ministers refuse to decide: Government asked for an extension on the issue of opening of mini-markets on Shabbat
- Asylum seekers who were released after 11 months were demanded to leave their jobs in order to complete another month in the Holot detention facility
- Allenby 40 nightclub: The host of the event in which a young woman was filmed (having sex on the bar) was summoned for questioning
- Trading in bodies (of terrorists) // Haaretz Editorial
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Snatched a rifle and sprayed fire – soldier killed and 10 wounded at Beersheva central bus station
- The terrible mistake – They shot and beat him. The foreign citizen, wounded [Photo: Black man on blood-covered floor with chair over him]
- And in its center, a wall: Jerusalem is divided – High cement barriers were placed between (Jewish) Armon Hanatziv and (Arab) Jabal Mukabber neighborhood, from where Molotov cocktails were thrown; Ministers in cabinet furious
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Terror in the capital of the Negev
- Now we need to win // Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan
- They snuck into Joseph’s Tomb and were attacked
Walls of Jerusalem
Israel Hayom
Israel Hayom
- Soldier murdered and 11 wounded at Beersheva central bus station
- Tragic mistake: Foreign citizen suspected as terrorist – and shot
- Attack which “changes the situation” // Yoav Limor
- Without melancholy, in the end we will win // Dan Margalit
- Jerusalem: Police began placing temporary cement barriers in Armon Hanatziv
- Obama signed: Begin with removing sanctions from Iran
- Today: Elections for head of JNF; Comptroller published draft ahead of severe report
News Summary:
In an attack in Beersheva, a soldier was killed and 10 were wounded, in Jerusalem, 10 meter walls were placed between Jewish and Arab neighborhoods angering right-wing ministers, and in the Knesset, a new bill allowed for frisking anybody without reason, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And, the Palestinian Authority is preparing to sue Israel in the International Criminal Court for “executing Palestinians” instead of putting them on trial.
When a Bedouin from southern Israel killed a soldier and wounded 10 others in a shooting spree in Beersheva, a security guard shot an Eritrean asylum seeker, thinking he was an accomplice, and then people at the bus station beat him, in what the newspapers called “a terrible mistake.” (Today, Habtom Zarhum, 29, was declared dead from the beating and the gunshot.) Yedioth titled its article, "Just because of the color of his skin."
Legislation for ‘stop and frisk’ had been stalled for four years, but now the bill allowing police to frisk anyone, without any suspicion of him, has been revived. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel harshly criticized the legislation saying it will be selectively enforced against Arabs.
The Jerusalem Post and Maariv reported that the Palestinian Authority is gathering information on ‘executions in cold blood’ and Israeli incitement in order to sue Israel at The Hague. “The IDF is planting evidence and declaring self-defense,” it said and accused Israel of summarily executing Palestinians without a trial.
Because of Abbas’ refusal to meet with Netanyahu, Kerry will meet Thursday with Netanyahu in Berlin and immediately afterward fly to Amman to meet with Abbas and King Abdullah II on Saturday.
In an attack in Beersheva, a soldier was killed and 10 were wounded, in Jerusalem, 10 meter walls were placed between Jewish and Arab neighborhoods angering right-wing ministers, and in the Knesset, a new bill allowed for frisking anybody without reason, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And, the Palestinian Authority is preparing to sue Israel in the International Criminal Court for “executing Palestinians” instead of putting them on trial.
When a Bedouin from southern Israel killed a soldier and wounded 10 others in a shooting spree in Beersheva, a security guard shot an Eritrean asylum seeker, thinking he was an accomplice, and then people at the bus station beat him, in what the newspapers called “a terrible mistake.” (Today, Habtom Zarhum, 29, was declared dead from the beating and the gunshot.) Yedioth titled its article, "Just because of the color of his skin."
Legislation for ‘stop and frisk’ had been stalled for four years, but now the bill allowing police to frisk anyone, without any suspicion of him, has been revived. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel harshly criticized the legislation saying it will be selectively enforced against Arabs.
The Jerusalem Post and Maariv reported that the Palestinian Authority is gathering information on ‘executions in cold blood’ and Israeli incitement in order to sue Israel at The Hague. “The IDF is planting evidence and declaring self-defense,” it said and accused Israel of summarily executing Palestinians without a trial.
Because of Abbas’ refusal to meet with Netanyahu, Kerry will meet Thursday with Netanyahu in Berlin and immediately afterward fly to Amman to meet with Abbas and King Abdullah II on Saturday.
Quick Hits:
- 200 Israeli settlers attack Palestinian village with firebombs - During the attack, Israeli settlers threw stones and firebombs at Palestinian homes and injured at least three people, two of whom were minors, while Israeli forces later shot and injured one Palestinian with live fire. (Maan)
- Israeli towns move to ban Arab workers from schools - Some local authorities are trying to remove all Arab workers, while others are targeting cleaning and maintentance workers. (Haaretz+)
- Israelis Line Up to Buy Guns as Terror Wave Continues - After government eases rules for acquiring a gun license, more and more civilians are opting to arm themselves. (Haaretz+)
- As tensions mount, Israelis clamor to join police force - Police handling of increasingly common stabbing attacks and other security incidents appears to have corrected the negative public perception of cops. Police expect to hire another 400 new cadets by the end of 2015. (Israel Hayom)
- Hamas urges ramming attacks as 'stabbings don't kill enough Jews' - Gaza-based terrorist group says knifing attacks "ineffective," while ramming tactics have proven more successful in killing Israeli soldiers and settlers. Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades operative killed during riots near southern border, Hamas vows revenge. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinians injured in clashes across West Bank, Gaza - In the village of Tuqu east of Bethlehem, a Palestinian teenager was shot in the stomach by Israeli soldiers, one among a number of Palestinians whom Israeli forces injured with live fire across the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in clashes on Sunday. (Maan)
- Israeli forces, Palestinians exchange fire in Qalandiya refugee camp, near Ramallah - During the raid, Israeli forces issued an evacuation notice to the family of Tariq Dweik, that their house would be sealed with cement and barred from entry within 48 hours. Israeli forces also raided the home of Thaer abu Ghazalah, but the troops retreated after Palestinians in the area opened fire on the invading Israeli forces. (Maan)
- Netanyahu summoned opposition leaders for a security update, but left (Arab) MK Oudeh out - After calling for a national unity government, the Prime Minister will convene personal update meetings with heads of opposition parties: MKs Herzog, Lapid, Lieberman and Gal-On. Chairman of the Joint List was not invited. (Maariv)
- MK Ayman Oudeh: “The Prime Minister is inciting and undermines the legitimacy of Arab citizens" - Chariman of Joint List reacted to his not being invited by the Prime Minister to the meeting for updating on the situation, in contrast to the other heads of the opposition: "We are the real opposition to Netanyahu." (Maariv)
- 'Abbas didn't lie about terrorist teen's death, he was confused' - MK Ahmad Tibi: PA President Mahmoud Abbas got Ahmed Manasra [who is being treated in an Israeli hospital] mixed up with his 15-year-old cousin, who was killed in the stabbing attack • Tibi tells Channel 2: "Palestinians have hatred for you [Israelis]." (Israel Hayom)
- Residents of Silwad remove Israeli roadblocks at village entrance - They were reportedly put in place on Friday -- sealing the main route to the village -- following nearby clashes between Israeli forces and local youths. (Maan)
- Jailed Fatah Leader Reprimanded for Publishing Article in British Daily - Marwan Barghouti wrote opinion piece in The Guardian titled ‘There will be no peace until Israel’s occupation of Palestine ends.’ (Haaretz+)
- Hasidim who entered Joseph’s Tomb disciples of renegade rabbi - Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who is accused of sexual abuse, ordered his followers to repaint the tomb from his hideout in South Africa. (Haaretz+)
- Israel returns terrorist's body despite policy - Body of Kiryat Arba stabber returned to Palestinians, contradicting cabinet decision; public security minister says families turn funerals into pro-terror rallies. (Ynet)
- Despite Tensions, Israeli Arabs Narrowing the Economic Gap With Jews - Unrest among the country's Arab minority has been restrained compared to the outbreak of the second intifada when 13 were killed in protests. (Haaretz+)
- The 13-year-old terrorist from Pisgat Zeev was released from hospital and taken into custody - The arrest of Ahmed Mansara, who stabbed along with his cousin, a 13-year-old Jewish boy and a young man of 21, has been extended by the court by eight days. (Maariv and Ynet)
- NYC Mayor De Blasio in Yad Vashem: Attacks by Palestinians against Israelis 'must end' - On three-day 'solidarity mission' to Israel, NYC mayor called for an end to 'unconscionable and unacceptable' violence; de Blasio met Tel Aviv, Jerusalem mayors, isn't scheduled to meet Palestinian officials. (Haaretz)
- Israelis save drowning Syrian and Iraqi refugees - 11 people rescued at sea near Greece by Israelis on yacht; upon learning rescuers were Jews from Israel, the refugees kiss and thank them. (Ynet)
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestine - Some 3,000 people, including many Jews, marched during the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's demonstration in London in support of the Palestinian people in front of the Israeli embassy on Saturday, the campaign said. (Maan)
- Thousands rally for Israel in Paris, Rome and Madrid - Spanish demonstrators hold up signs declaring 'Yo estoy con Israel' - I am with Israel; 4,000 demonstrate in front of Israeli embassy in Paris. (Ynet)
- Egypt holds first post-Morsi parliamentary election - Millions queue up to vote; early voters express resolve to keep Islamists out; heavy security due to fear of attacks. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Israel, US resume defense aid talks halted over Iran deal - Israeli Ambassador to U.S. Ron Dermer confirms renewal of discussions on new Memorandum of Understanding between Israel and U.S.. New chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, arrives in Israel for official visit. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- US, EU, takes steps toward lifting Iran sanctions - As 'adoption day' of nuclear deal between Tehran and West arrives, legal arrangements begin toward the lifting of sanctions, once the Islamic Republic meets the required conditions. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Iranian star finds his 'Homeland' in Israel - Navid Negahban, who starred as the arch-terrorist in 'Homeland,' is in Israel for the premiere of 'Baba Joon,' which won five Israeli Oscars. (Ynet)
Features:
In the line of fire
The tension, the weak nerves, the calls for civilians to carry arms: Will we soon see, due to the security situation, a spillover of the use of firearms into brawls between neighbors, family arguments and criminal arrests? The experts fear a lethal wave of violence in society. (Noam Barkan, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
Arab workers feeling the fear
Ashraf Katayef's restaurant is struggling while contractors report Arab workers are scarce these days; 'The situation is frightening.' (Billie Frenkel and Ilana Curiel, Ynet)
Inside the outlawed group of Muslim women patrolling the Temple Mount
The authorities have outlawed the Mourabitat, a group of women considered a key player in the violent clashes on the Temple Mount, but its members intend to keep up what they define as holy work. (Eetta Prince-Gibson, Haaretz+)
A capital divided: Will East Jerusalem be closed off?
Jewish locals, IDF officers question efficacy of blockade on East Jerusalem despite recent attacks; 'We are fighting for the unity of Jerusalem.' (Yoav Zitun and Elisha Ben Kimon, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
The tension, the weak nerves, the calls for civilians to carry arms: Will we soon see, due to the security situation, a spillover of the use of firearms into brawls between neighbors, family arguments and criminal arrests? The experts fear a lethal wave of violence in society. (Noam Barkan, Yedioth’s ’24 Hours’ supplement, cover)
Arab workers feeling the fear
Ashraf Katayef's restaurant is struggling while contractors report Arab workers are scarce these days; 'The situation is frightening.' (Billie Frenkel and Ilana Curiel, Ynet)
Inside the outlawed group of Muslim women patrolling the Temple Mount
The authorities have outlawed the Mourabitat, a group of women considered a key player in the violent clashes on the Temple Mount, but its members intend to keep up what they define as holy work. (Eetta Prince-Gibson, Haaretz+)
A capital divided: Will East Jerusalem be closed off?
Jewish locals, IDF officers question efficacy of blockade on East Jerusalem despite recent attacks; 'We are fighting for the unity of Jerusalem.' (Yoav Zitun and Elisha Ben Kimon, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel’s Leaders Are Fulfilling Their Zionist Ideology (Oudeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) I disagree with my friend on a lot of things, buy we agree that whether a
Palestinian is a collaborator or an ISIS member, most Israelis will stick to their dogma.
It's not a wave of terror, it's a civil war (Benny Cohen, Ynet) In the current situation, citizens of the State of Israel are going out to kill fellow citizens; the fact that both the murderers and the victims have an Israeli identity card turns a battle between states into a civil war, which is harder to solve.
Israel Must Return the Bodies of Terrorists to Their Families (Haaretz Editorial) Denying a Palestinian family the right to bury their dead is an expression of the government's helplessness and puts Israel on the same plane as Hezbollah and Hamas, which trade in dead bodies to reap political or military gains.
The desperate kid with the knife (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) A Palestinian boy goes out to stab a Jewish boy not because he is worried about the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but mainly because of what he experiences as ongoing humiliation and daily harassment - of his parents, relatives, neighbors and friends - by Israelis.
Bennett and Hamas Are on the Same Side (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Does anyone really think Abbas knew that 13-year-old Palestinian boy was alive but nevertheless said he was dead?
Channel 1's authentic report (Itsik Saban, Israel Hayom) The war is not really about the 1967 lines, as we've been told by the private broadcasting stations and left-wing politicians.
An apology to my killer in the event of my death in the current wave of violence (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Those for whom hummus symbolizes coexistence in this binational country are living an entirely bogus coexistence.
Breaking the mold: Why there is still hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The fact that there is currently no partner on the other side does not mean we should lose hope. Anyone who belittles the role or the importance of the international community does not understand the world we currently live in, and that they themselves are in fact helping the anti-Israel campaign.
Three Intelligence Failures That Helped Fuel Unrest (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Lack of preparedness for a crisis that seems to appear out of the blue is generally the result of faulty intelligence.
What are we telling our children? (Tzachi Dickstein, Israel Hayom) Maintaining our routine, including school trips and excursions to our capital Jerusalem, is an inseparable part of our decisive response to our enemies.
The single-state solution is already here (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Now, of all times, out of the fire and despair, we must start talking about the last way out: one Israeli state with equal rights for both Jews and Arabs.
Nuclear Deal Won't Lead to a Freer Iran (Amiel Ungar, Haaretz+) Clinton was wrong when he said economic ties with China would herald a new era of freedom there. Obama is heading the same way with Iran.
Last time, they fled (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) France's idea to have international forces "secure" the Temple Mount only drives the Palestinians to continue terrorist attacks.
Sissi and Apathy Rule as Eyptians Go to Polling Booths (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Egyptians are currently voting to elect 596 legislators in a two-round parliamentary election, concluding in December. The most telling number will be the turnout.
U.S. dragged back kicking and cursing into the Netanyahu-Abbas abyss (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Obama administration’s reactions to outbreak of violence colored by enduring resentment over Iran deal and suspicions of Israel’s ultimate motives.
The Small-town Mayor Who Could Rekindle Zionism (Ari Shavit, Haaretz) Michael Biton, who heads Yeruham in the Negev, is turning a poor town into a high-tech gem. He should run the Jewish National Fund.
Yair Lapid's Shoot-to-kill Policy Makes for a Sorry Ethics Code (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) If fear has addled the former finance minister to the point where he can’t maintain human decency, he should remove himself from the public arena.
In Israel, heroic is he who cocks his weapon (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) It's only a matter of time and luck before a Jew is riddled with bullets just because he looks like an Arab.
If Tunisia could do it, so can Israel and Palestine (Joel Braunold, Haaretz+) Tunisian civilians played a key role in turning the Arab Spring into democracy. In honoring this, the Nobel Peace Prize emphasized that even in the Middle East, the graveyard for hope, change is possible.
It's not a wave of terror, it's a civil war (Benny Cohen, Ynet) In the current situation, citizens of the State of Israel are going out to kill fellow citizens; the fact that both the murderers and the victims have an Israeli identity card turns a battle between states into a civil war, which is harder to solve.
Israel Must Return the Bodies of Terrorists to Their Families (Haaretz Editorial) Denying a Palestinian family the right to bury their dead is an expression of the government's helplessness and puts Israel on the same plane as Hezbollah and Hamas, which trade in dead bodies to reap political or military gains.
The desperate kid with the knife (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) A Palestinian boy goes out to stab a Jewish boy not because he is worried about the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but mainly because of what he experiences as ongoing humiliation and daily harassment - of his parents, relatives, neighbors and friends - by Israelis.
Bennett and Hamas Are on the Same Side (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) Does anyone really think Abbas knew that 13-year-old Palestinian boy was alive but nevertheless said he was dead?
Channel 1's authentic report (Itsik Saban, Israel Hayom) The war is not really about the 1967 lines, as we've been told by the private broadcasting stations and left-wing politicians.
An apology to my killer in the event of my death in the current wave of violence (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Those for whom hummus symbolizes coexistence in this binational country are living an entirely bogus coexistence.
Breaking the mold: Why there is still hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) The fact that there is currently no partner on the other side does not mean we should lose hope. Anyone who belittles the role or the importance of the international community does not understand the world we currently live in, and that they themselves are in fact helping the anti-Israel campaign.
Three Intelligence Failures That Helped Fuel Unrest (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Lack of preparedness for a crisis that seems to appear out of the blue is generally the result of faulty intelligence.
What are we telling our children? (Tzachi Dickstein, Israel Hayom) Maintaining our routine, including school trips and excursions to our capital Jerusalem, is an inseparable part of our decisive response to our enemies.
The single-state solution is already here (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Now, of all times, out of the fire and despair, we must start talking about the last way out: one Israeli state with equal rights for both Jews and Arabs.
Nuclear Deal Won't Lead to a Freer Iran (Amiel Ungar, Haaretz+) Clinton was wrong when he said economic ties with China would herald a new era of freedom there. Obama is heading the same way with Iran.
Last time, they fled (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) France's idea to have international forces "secure" the Temple Mount only drives the Palestinians to continue terrorist attacks.
Sissi and Apathy Rule as Eyptians Go to Polling Booths (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Egyptians are currently voting to elect 596 legislators in a two-round parliamentary election, concluding in December. The most telling number will be the turnout.
U.S. dragged back kicking and cursing into the Netanyahu-Abbas abyss (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Obama administration’s reactions to outbreak of violence colored by enduring resentment over Iran deal and suspicions of Israel’s ultimate motives.
The Small-town Mayor Who Could Rekindle Zionism (Ari Shavit, Haaretz) Michael Biton, who heads Yeruham in the Negev, is turning a poor town into a high-tech gem. He should run the Jewish National Fund.
Yair Lapid's Shoot-to-kill Policy Makes for a Sorry Ethics Code (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) If fear has addled the former finance minister to the point where he can’t maintain human decency, he should remove himself from the public arena.
In Israel, heroic is he who cocks his weapon (Yossi Sarid, Haaretz+) It's only a matter of time and luck before a Jew is riddled with bullets just because he looks like an Arab.
If Tunisia could do it, so can Israel and Palestine (Joel Braunold, Haaretz+) Tunisian civilians played a key role in turning the Arab Spring into democracy. In honoring this, the Nobel Peace Prize emphasized that even in the Middle East, the graveyard for hope, change is possible.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.