APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday October 22, 2015
Quote of the day:
"Jews and Arabs, what do we all want at the end of the day? To make a living and advance in life, we
want a better future for our children. And we want that the good food that we will serve will transfer that
message."
--Fuad Marwan, co-owner of Al-Masraa restaurant in Acco that is holding a 'co-existence dinner' tonight prepared by Jewish and Arab chefs.
--Fuad Marwan, co-owner of Al-Masraa restaurant in Acco that is holding a 'co-existence dinner' tonight prepared by Jewish and Arab chefs.
You Must Be Kidding:
53.5%
--The percentage of religious Israeli Jews who believe the option of carrying out a forced population transfer of Israel’s Muslim population should be brought back to the public discourse. Another 27.5% had no opinion and only 19% opposed, according to a poll that examined religious Jews’ views on Arab citizens of Israel.
Breaking News:
Man Wounded in Beit Shemesh Stabbing Attack
Police open fire on two assailants, wounding them severely.
Palestinian tries to stab IDF soldier in Hebron
Two terrorists stab, moderately wound yeshiva student at a bus stop in Beit Shemesh, pushed back from boarding bus, shot and neutralized by police officer.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Storm following Netanyahu’s statements on the role of Al-Husseini in the Holocaust
- Battling the facts // Yossi Verter
- Cheapening of the Holocaust // Haaretz Editorial
- Man shot dead in Jerusalem after being mistakenly identified as a terrorist; six soldiers injured in attacks in the West Bank
- 4 arrested on suspicion of lynching the asylum seeker, including two Prison Authority officers
- US expected to increase security aid to Israel: Considering adding another billion dollars a year
- Police recommend indicting (former Yisrael Beiteinu ministers) Kirschenbaum and Misezhnikov for fraud
- The upper underworld // Gidi Weitz
- From next month, police will be equipped with body cameras and will have to document every meeting with a civilian
- Assad left Syria for the first time since 2011
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Suspected as a terrorist and was shot to death
- “The terrorist stabbed my friend in the neck and moved towards me. I shot him” – (Female) Cpl. Lichai on the attack at Adam Jct.
- Shock from Netanyahu’s words: “Hitler did not plan to destroy the Jews”
- History and hysteria // Sima Kadmon
- How could he // Noah Klieger (Holocaust survivor)
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- “The terrorist stabbed my friend, I shot him immediately” – The female combat soldier who was injured near the Adam settlement
- The lynch in Beersheva: Prison Service guard and officer were arrested
- Merkel made clear to Netanyahu: “We are responsible for the Holocaust”
- Netanyahu said // Ben Caspit
- Holocaust denial // Prof. Moshe Zimmerman
Israel Hayom
- “He stabbed my friend – I shot him”
- Another tragic mistake? Man shot dead in Jerusalem on suspicion he was terrorist
- Another day of attacks: 5 soldiers wounded in Gush Etzion when they went after stone-throwers
- Merkel: Germany responsible for the crimes of the Holocaust; Netanyahu: I did not intend to absolve Hitler
- Israel Beiteinu affair: Recommendation to indict Kirschenbaum and Miszhenikov
News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was slammed, ridiculed and corrected for saying that the mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust was the idea of the then Mufti of Jerusalem, six Israeli soldiers were wounded in the West Bank by Palestinians, a Jewish man was shot dead when he was mistakenly suspected to be a terrorist, two Israel Prison Service wardens were arrested for lynching the asylum seeker who was mistaken as a terrorist and UNESCO condemned Israeli ‘aggression’ on the Temple Mount, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
In what is being called a terror attack, five soldiers were wounded last night when they got out of their vehicle to respond to stone-throwers and were hit by a passing truck. The Palestinian driver was shot and mortally wounded, and called a ‘terrorist,’ by the Israeli media. (Also Maariv) It was the third incident in the Hebron area in recent days in which a Palestinian driver struck an Israeli pedestrian. However, the incident in which a Palestinian ran over and killed Abraham Cheso on Tuesday is being considered an accident, not a terrorist attack, despite the front page of yesterday’s newspapers calling the driver a terrorist, Haaretz+ reported. The driver turned himself in to Palestinian police and is not being questioned by the Shin Bet. Further details from the defense establishment indicated that the truck driver’s vehicle was also hit by stones. Also, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl was shot and wounded near the settlement of Yitzhar, when she was suspected of trying to commit a stabbing attack. (Also from Maan) The papers, with the exception of Haaretz, also hailed a female combat soldier as a hero for shooting dead a Palestinian attacker who stabbed her colleague in the neck.
Historians and politicians slammed Netanyahu’s 'distortion of history,' Germany responded saying it was responsible for the Holocaust. Netanyahu’s claim that the Mufti of Jerusalem was the one who convinced Hitler to exterminate the Jews has broken the internet with humorous memes. Later, Netanyahu downplayed his Hitler-Mufti comments, saying, “I didn't mean to absolve Hitler of responsibility, but to show that the father of the Palestinian nation wanted to destroy the Jews even without occupation.” This he said before he left to Berlin to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry on finding a solution to end the violence. The US responded saying that Israel and the Palestinians must avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could feed the violence.
Israel was outraged that UNESCO passed a resolution that condemns Israel for having "failed to protect heritage sites,” Maariv reported. The resolution adopted "strongly condemns Israeli aggression and illegal measures restricting freedom of worship and access to [Muslims to] the holy Muslim site of the al-Aqsa Mosque." It also "strongly deplores" among other things "persistent outbreaks of Israeli right-wing extremists on the site" and "urges Israel" to "take the necessary steps to prevent provocative actions that violate the site's sanctity." However, Israel got one victory: UNESCO dropped the Palestinian bid to name the Western Wall as an ‘integral part’ of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. But, the resolution also recognized Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron as Muslim sites.
Minister Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi), who has been avidly visiting the Temple Mount and caused a ruckus when he said he would pray there last Rosh Hashanah, wrote a sharp letter to Netanyahu telling him 1. Not to limit visits by Jews to the Temple Mount. 2. Not to return to the Waqf the authorities it had a the Temple Mount prior to the Second Intifada and 3.) not to sign a document on the status quo at the Temple Mount. According to recent reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry wants the sides, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan to prepare and sign a document on what is the status quo at the Temple Mount. Ariel hinted that he would leave the government if such steps were taken. (Maariv)
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was slammed, ridiculed and corrected for saying that the mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust was the idea of the then Mufti of Jerusalem, six Israeli soldiers were wounded in the West Bank by Palestinians, a Jewish man was shot dead when he was mistakenly suspected to be a terrorist, two Israel Prison Service wardens were arrested for lynching the asylum seeker who was mistaken as a terrorist and UNESCO condemned Israeli ‘aggression’ on the Temple Mount, making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
In what is being called a terror attack, five soldiers were wounded last night when they got out of their vehicle to respond to stone-throwers and were hit by a passing truck. The Palestinian driver was shot and mortally wounded, and called a ‘terrorist,’ by the Israeli media. (Also Maariv) It was the third incident in the Hebron area in recent days in which a Palestinian driver struck an Israeli pedestrian. However, the incident in which a Palestinian ran over and killed Abraham Cheso on Tuesday is being considered an accident, not a terrorist attack, despite the front page of yesterday’s newspapers calling the driver a terrorist, Haaretz+ reported. The driver turned himself in to Palestinian police and is not being questioned by the Shin Bet. Further details from the defense establishment indicated that the truck driver’s vehicle was also hit by stones. Also, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl was shot and wounded near the settlement of Yitzhar, when she was suspected of trying to commit a stabbing attack. (Also from Maan) The papers, with the exception of Haaretz, also hailed a female combat soldier as a hero for shooting dead a Palestinian attacker who stabbed her colleague in the neck.
Historians and politicians slammed Netanyahu’s 'distortion of history,' Germany responded saying it was responsible for the Holocaust. Netanyahu’s claim that the Mufti of Jerusalem was the one who convinced Hitler to exterminate the Jews has broken the internet with humorous memes. Later, Netanyahu downplayed his Hitler-Mufti comments, saying, “I didn't mean to absolve Hitler of responsibility, but to show that the father of the Palestinian nation wanted to destroy the Jews even without occupation.” This he said before he left to Berlin to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry on finding a solution to end the violence. The US responded saying that Israel and the Palestinians must avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could feed the violence.
Israel was outraged that UNESCO passed a resolution that condemns Israel for having "failed to protect heritage sites,” Maariv reported. The resolution adopted "strongly condemns Israeli aggression and illegal measures restricting freedom of worship and access to [Muslims to] the holy Muslim site of the al-Aqsa Mosque." It also "strongly deplores" among other things "persistent outbreaks of Israeli right-wing extremists on the site" and "urges Israel" to "take the necessary steps to prevent provocative actions that violate the site's sanctity." However, Israel got one victory: UNESCO dropped the Palestinian bid to name the Western Wall as an ‘integral part’ of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. But, the resolution also recognized Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron as Muslim sites.
Minister Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi), who has been avidly visiting the Temple Mount and caused a ruckus when he said he would pray there last Rosh Hashanah, wrote a sharp letter to Netanyahu telling him 1. Not to limit visits by Jews to the Temple Mount. 2. Not to return to the Waqf the authorities it had a the Temple Mount prior to the Second Intifada and 3.) not to sign a document on the status quo at the Temple Mount. According to recent reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry wants the sides, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan to prepare and sign a document on what is the status quo at the Temple Mount. Ariel hinted that he would leave the government if such steps were taken. (Maariv)
Quick Hits:
- Israeli Police Officers to Begin Wearing Body Cameras Next Month - Three-month pilot program yielded positive results. (Haaretz+)
- U.S.-Jewish Donors Help Fuel Jerusalem Tensions With Settler Push - Critics claim NGO Ateret Cohanim's actions have played a role in the Palestinians' fears about Israeli encroachment on the Temple Mount, stoking the current violence. (Haaretz)
- (Some) Roadblocks removed in East Jerusalem - Security assessments lead police to remove roadblocks and checkpoints from certain neighborhoods; everywhere 'quiet is returned, barriers will be removed.' (Ynet)
- Gaza rocket strikes southern Israel - One projectile fired from Gaza lands in an open area in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council causing no damage or injuries. (Ynet)
- Abbas After Meeting UN's Ban: Palestinians Demand Their Rights - Palestinians are preparing a report detailing alleged Israeli violations in recent weeks, Haaretz learns. (Haaretz+)
- Knesset Rejects Bill to Withhold Funds From Parties That Support Israel Boycott - Only five voted for the bill while 60 opposed. Coalition supports the bill in principle, says minister. (Haaretz)
- Conflict raged in the Knesset: Tibi had Elkin removed from the podium - Deputy Speaker Ahmed Tibi ordered a halt to the Minister Zeev Elkin's remarks, claiming that he incited against him during a discussion in the Knesset on the subject ‘The Cabinet decision to impose closures, curfews and sieges on Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem” when he told Tibi: “You and your friends have responsibility for the blood spilled in the recent incidents, both of Jews and Arabs. You personally should not sleep at night and think of all those killed in recent weeks and what was your part in what is happening.” (Maariv)
- Netanyahu demanded that the chairman of the Finance Committee add settlements to the map of communities that get tax benefits - The request sparked a heated debate in the Knesset, after Committee Chairman MK Gafni announced that he could not guarantee to raise the issue for a vote next week. (Maariv)
- Autopsy Reveals Eritrean Asylum Seeker Died From Gunshot Wounds, Not Lynching - The security officer who shot Haftom Zarhum claims he fired only one bullet, but the autopsy uncovered eight gunshot wounds. The attackers could still be charged with assault, murder or manslaughter. (Haaretz+)
- Memorial Held in Tel Aviv for Asylum Seeker Killed After Being Mistaken for Terrorist - Asylum seekers gather in Levinsky park to mourn the death of Habtom Zarhum; a government committee will look into whether to compensate his family. (Haaretz+)
- Education Ministry to Grill East Jerusalem Teacher Over 'Political Incitement' - Beit Hanina elementary school teacher's hearing to be held in coming days. (Haaretz+)
- Religious Jews have no faith in Israel's Arabs, survey shows - Public opinion poll reveals 85% of national-religious Jews see the Arab Muslim sector as an existential threat to the State of Israel, 70% boycott Arab businesses and 53.5% are in favor of discussing a forced population transfer. (Ynet)
- Dennis Ross: Obama Doesn’t Understand Israeli Concerns - Former peace negotiator Dennis Ross and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz criticize U.S. as lacking a Middle East policy. (Haaretz+)
- Assad, Putin meet to discuss military campaign - Syrian president travels to Moscow in first trip abroad since 2011; leaders discuss fight against 'terrorist groups' and continuation of Russia's military campaign in Syria. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Iran's Supreme Leader Approves Nuclear Deal With West, Orders Its Implementation - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all major policy matters, warns however that the Iranian government must remain vigilant. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Were There Jewish Temples on Temple Mount? Yes
The preponderance of archaeological and historical evidence is overwhelming and the argument that there is 'no proof' of the Temples is a modern political artifact. (Ruth Schuster and Ran Shapira, Haaretz+)
Reality test
Studies began this week at Haifa University and the tension between Jewish and Arab students is at a climax. Very rigorous security checks are done at entrances, and many say they carry knives, scissors and pepper spray out of fear of an attack: "There is mutual suspicion, even though these are guys that I know, go figure out what's going on in their heads," said one Jewish student. (Maariv Magazine supplement, cover)
A Land With No Jews Names Jewish Affairs Rep
Kurdistan’s new Jewish affairs representative wants to rebuild synagogues and reconnect Jews to the semiautonomous region in northern Iraq. (Judit Neurink, Haaretz)
Knives are only for the kitchen
The moment the riots and stabbings, the businesses and restaurants in Acco became empty. This evening at 19:00, restauranteurs at the port, Arabs and Jews, will try to prove that it is possible another way and they will hold a joint dinner of fish and co-existence at the Al-Masraa restaurant. "We are all human-beings, and we are all suffering. Enough," said Chef Alaa' Musa. [200sh. per diner for 8 courses and all-you-can drink alcohol] (Yedioth '24 Hours' supplement, pp. 12-13)
Commentary/Analysis:
The preponderance of archaeological and historical evidence is overwhelming and the argument that there is 'no proof' of the Temples is a modern political artifact. (Ruth Schuster and Ran Shapira, Haaretz+)
Reality test
Studies began this week at Haifa University and the tension between Jewish and Arab students is at a climax. Very rigorous security checks are done at entrances, and many say they carry knives, scissors and pepper spray out of fear of an attack: "There is mutual suspicion, even though these are guys that I know, go figure out what's going on in their heads," said one Jewish student. (Maariv Magazine supplement, cover)
A Land With No Jews Names Jewish Affairs Rep
Kurdistan’s new Jewish affairs representative wants to rebuild synagogues and reconnect Jews to the semiautonomous region in northern Iraq. (Judit Neurink, Haaretz)
Knives are only for the kitchen
The moment the riots and stabbings, the businesses and restaurants in Acco became empty. This evening at 19:00, restauranteurs at the port, Arabs and Jews, will try to prove that it is possible another way and they will hold a joint dinner of fish and co-existence at the Al-Masraa restaurant. "We are all human-beings, and we are all suffering. Enough," said Chef Alaa' Musa. [200sh. per diner for 8 courses and all-you-can drink alcohol] (Yedioth '24 Hours' supplement, pp. 12-13)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu Is Cheapening The Memory of The Holocaust (Haaretz Editorial) One would expect more judicious words from the son of an important
historian.
The lynching and the cover-up (Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet) When a senior police commander states that 'whoever stabs Jews is destined to be killed,' he encourages his people and citizens to take the law into their own hands.
Apologies to the Fuhrer (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Netanyahu’s attempt to place the mufti at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict shows just how bankrupt the extremists in Israel have become. It’s a declaration of all-out war on the Palestinian people. It’s ‘us or them.’
Dynamite effect: incitement and violence on social networks hurt us all (Tal Schneider, Maariv) When Netanyahu decides to open his eyes, he should take a peek at the social networks. There he will see the amount of hate and incitement on the part of the citizens of Israel, which is reflected also on the streets.
Without Israeli-Palestinian Border, Disaster Is Inevitable (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) What the stabbings and car rammings and shooting attacks teach us today is that the reality we have concocted here is not viable.
Netanyahu's Hitler remarks: A blatant historical lie (Noah Kllieger, Yedioth/Ynet) How can the Israeli prime minister claim that the mufti of Jerusalem was the one who suggested that the Nazi leader burn the Jews, when during their meeting more than one million Jews had already been massacred Germany and occupied Europe?
Netanyahu, Abbas and the Death of Historical Truth (Sara Hirschhorn, Haaretz+) Israelis and Palestinians are fighting a war of post-modern political fictions, where truth has been mortgaged to collective mobilization.
Clothes-shredding and Mezuzah-kissing: Israelis Urged to Go Religious to Stop Violence (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Religious leaders and even politicians are trying to convince Israelis that greater religious observance will help end the violence
Make Rabin's memorial a national holiday (Yedidia Stern, Yedioth/Ynet) The Israeli calendar doesn’t have a single holiday shared by all Israeli citizens. Turning the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day into Israeli Democracy Day could fill this void.
Piece Now? No, Israelis Aren't Gun-crazy (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Right now Israelis are snapping up personal weapons, but in contrast to some Americans, for instance, they don't feel guns are a right. Or a vehicle for self-actualization.
No more slips of the tongue: Netanyahu’s statements will harm us all (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The words that the Prime Minister said are actually the adopting of the views of Holocaust deniers, and they fall like honey on the bones of neo-Nazis and anti-Semites in Europe.
The lynching and the cover-up (Ronen Bergman, Yedioth/Ynet) When a senior police commander states that 'whoever stabs Jews is destined to be killed,' he encourages his people and citizens to take the law into their own hands.
Apologies to the Fuhrer (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Netanyahu’s attempt to place the mufti at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict shows just how bankrupt the extremists in Israel have become. It’s a declaration of all-out war on the Palestinian people. It’s ‘us or them.’
Dynamite effect: incitement and violence on social networks hurt us all (Tal Schneider, Maariv) When Netanyahu decides to open his eyes, he should take a peek at the social networks. There he will see the amount of hate and incitement on the part of the citizens of Israel, which is reflected also on the streets.
Without Israeli-Palestinian Border, Disaster Is Inevitable (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) What the stabbings and car rammings and shooting attacks teach us today is that the reality we have concocted here is not viable.
Netanyahu's Hitler remarks: A blatant historical lie (Noah Kllieger, Yedioth/Ynet) How can the Israeli prime minister claim that the mufti of Jerusalem was the one who suggested that the Nazi leader burn the Jews, when during their meeting more than one million Jews had already been massacred Germany and occupied Europe?
Netanyahu, Abbas and the Death of Historical Truth (Sara Hirschhorn, Haaretz+) Israelis and Palestinians are fighting a war of post-modern political fictions, where truth has been mortgaged to collective mobilization.
Clothes-shredding and Mezuzah-kissing: Israelis Urged to Go Religious to Stop Violence (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Religious leaders and even politicians are trying to convince Israelis that greater religious observance will help end the violence
Make Rabin's memorial a national holiday (Yedidia Stern, Yedioth/Ynet) The Israeli calendar doesn’t have a single holiday shared by all Israeli citizens. Turning the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day into Israeli Democracy Day could fill this void.
Piece Now? No, Israelis Aren't Gun-crazy (David Rosenberg, Haaretz+) Right now Israelis are snapping up personal weapons, but in contrast to some Americans, for instance, they don't feel guns are a right. Or a vehicle for self-actualization.
No more slips of the tongue: Netanyahu’s statements will harm us all (Ben Caspit, Maariv) The words that the Prime Minister said are actually the adopting of the views of Holocaust deniers, and they fall like honey on the bones of neo-Nazis and anti-Semites in Europe.
Interviews:
"American presidents should not dictate to Israel conditions for peace"
So said Senator Ted Cruz, presidential candidate of the Republican Party primaries, to Maariv. He calls for the resignation of Secretary of State Kerry, declaring that if elected president he would consider termination of US aid to the Palestinian Authority. (Interviewed by Caroline Glick in Maariv/JPost)
So said Senator Ted Cruz, presidential candidate of the Republican Party primaries, to Maariv. He calls for the resignation of Secretary of State Kerry, declaring that if elected president he would consider termination of US aid to the Palestinian Authority. (Interviewed by Caroline Glick in Maariv/JPost)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.