APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday October 27, 2015
Quotes of the day:
"We are getting calls from people who have never approached us before."
--Sivan Hendel, director of the peace education department at the Peres Center for Peace, says the escalating wave of violence between Arabs and Jews has sparked a jump in requests for "peace-related materials" for both Jewish and Arab schools.
"The heavy hand of the right will lead to a reality in which my grandchildren won't be able to live here. And that's not because the left has lost its way and not because of the right's pragmatism, but because there's no leadership that's fighting for the future.”
-- Nissim Zvili, one of four men involved in the former peace process who gave an interview to Yedioth about their views of Israel's future.
You Must Be Kidding:
"The decision was intentionally general and unclear. It wasn't said in what situation exactly one could shoot and in which one not, but the message was clear: it is permissible to use a lighter finger on the trigger without fear of being put on trial."
--Yedioth's Legal Affairs reporter Tovah Tzimuki describes the Israeli government cabinet decision that led to a 'Wild West' phenomenon in Israel. Now Israel's Attorney General is putting things in order with a new guideline on when Israelis can shoot to kill.
--Sivan Hendel, director of the peace education department at the Peres Center for Peace, says the escalating wave of violence between Arabs and Jews has sparked a jump in requests for "peace-related materials" for both Jewish and Arab schools.
"The heavy hand of the right will lead to a reality in which my grandchildren won't be able to live here. And that's not because the left has lost its way and not because of the right's pragmatism, but because there's no leadership that's fighting for the future.”
-- Nissim Zvili, one of four men involved in the former peace process who gave an interview to Yedioth about their views of Israel's future.
You Must Be Kidding:
"The decision was intentionally general and unclear. It wasn't said in what situation exactly one could shoot and in which one not, but the message was clear: it is permissible to use a lighter finger on the trigger without fear of being put on trial."
--Yedioth's Legal Affairs reporter Tovah Tzimuki describes the Israeli government cabinet decision that led to a 'Wild West' phenomenon in Israel. Now Israel's Attorney General is putting things in order with a new guideline on when Israelis can shoot to kill.
Breaking News:
American victim of Jerusalem bus attack succumbs to wounds
Richard Lakin dies of wounds sustained during Armon Hanatziv terrorist attack, raising number of people killed in by assailants on October 13 to 4. (Ynet and Haaretz)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Tens of thousands still disconnected from electricity; (Israel Electricity Corp) labor union prevented repairs
- Knesset marked 20 years since Rabin murder; Netanyahu: “We will live forever by our sword”
- Temple Mount understandings: The agreement stopped a severe crisis between Israel and Jordan // Barak Ravid
- Soldier seriously wounded from stabbing in Hebron; rocket exploded in south
- Fear in US: Russia will paralyze the Internet
- Carson, the Republican, is skyrocketing and making Trump look boring // Chemi Shalev
- Sharp drop in pollution by industries in Israel
- Without the religious // Salman Masalha
Yedioth Ahronoth
- (Budget) Cuts to the periphery
- For the beneficiaries only // Amnon Abramovich
- The hand that prevents // Merav Betito
- MKs arrange a raise for themselves
- Another night without electricity
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- “Investigate the electricity failure”
- This is what chaos looks like // Ben Caspit
- High tension // Yehuda Sharoni
- Rivlin: “Rabin commanded us to preserve Jerusalem”
- (Deputy Minister) Hotovely: My dream – Israeli flag on the Temple Mount
- Diplomacy with a flamethrower and gasoline // Ben Caspit
Israel Hayom
- Second night without electricity
- The only solution: competition (for the Israel Electricity Corp) // Hezi Sternlicht
- Knife terror: Soldier seriously wounded – terrorist eliminated
- Wound that won’t heal – Knesset marks 20th anniversary of Rabin’s murder
News Summary:
A second night of electricity outage in parts of Israel sparks anger at the Israeli Electricity Corporation for dragging its feet, one Israeli soldier injured and three Palestinians killed in Hebron over alleged stabbings and a Likud minister called for the Israeli flag to wave over the Temple Mount and got reprimanded by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Haaretz+ reported that Netanyahu showed his cards on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Yedioth reported that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein opposes the death-to-every-Palestinian-attacker response by Israelis to Palestinian attackers and Palestinians make diplomatic attempts abroad to stop the violence and the occupation.
The papers wrote at length about the incident in which an Israeli soldier was seriously wounded after a young Palestinian stabbed him near Hebron. The attacker Ra’ad Talgi, 22, from Sa’ir village, was shot dead. Haaretz+ reported that Talgi's final message on Twitter was a picture of a female attacker shot dead recently in Hebron with the text, “Imagine that she was your sister.”
However, the papers gave only one paragraph to report on the alleged attempt by Iyad Rawhi Jaradat, 19, to stab Israeli soldiers outside the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron a few hours later. Jaradat was shot dead and no Israelis were injured. The reports all presented as fact the IDF version of events and gave no other version. A relative of the terrorist, Iyad Rawhi Jaradat, 19, was shot dead later in the day by IDF forces during clashes that broke out when the IDF was trying to disperse a funeral march going towards the home of the attackr.
In a separate incident, just before 3pm on Monday, a Palestinian who tried to stab an Israeli soldier in Hebron. Israeli reports write that he was shot dead, but interestingly, Maan reported that an Israeli army spokesperson said he died on the way to an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem. [It is unusual for Israel to allow West Bank Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis to be taken to Israeli hospitals. – OH] No Israelis were hurt in the alleged attack.
Later in the evening a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip and fell in an open area near the border. No injuries or damage were caused. Ynet wrote that “a shadowy Gaza group, inspired by the Islamic State organization, claimed responsibility for the attack.” Israel responded by striking Hamas targets. No injuries were reported there either.
In the midst of a bloody conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, which broke out over Israel’s alleged changes to the status quo at the Temple Mount, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely declared Monday that she dreams of an Israeli flag flying over the hotspot. Hotovely (Likud) supports changing the status quo. A Zionist Camp MK Yoel Hasson called on Netanyahu to fire her by the end of the day. (Maariv/JPost)Netanyahu’s office rebuked her, saying that Israel remains committed to the Temple Mount status quo. Hotovely quickly said her comment was 'personal.’ Maariv's top political commentator, Ben Caspit, wrote, "Hotovely, 'the number one diplomat of the state,' according to her, raises everything to the sky in a storm. No one told her that as the senior diplomat of Israel, she has no personal opinion, and if she does, she should whisper it."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu revealed his view on the likelihood of peace to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. MKs at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting told Haaretz+ that Netanyahu hinted at the anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination and told the politicians present: "These days, there is talk about what would happen if this or that person would have remained. It's irrelevant; there are movements here of religion and Islam that have nothing to do with us." Netanyahu then turned to opposition MKs and said: "You think there is a magic wand here, but I disagree. I'm asked if we will forever live by the sword — yes." In a speech to the plenum Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians for no peace saying they weren’t willing to make territorial concessions, but he was. Arab MKs walked out.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders are making diplomatic attempts to end the violence. In Brussels, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited the EU headquarters for meetings and blamed Israel for the violence, saying that young Palestinians 'basically don't see any hope' for the future. In Cairo, Saeb Erekat announced that Palestinians will seek a deadline to the occupation and international protection in the UN Security Council as well as establishment of commission of inquiry into current violence. In the past five weeks, 11 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbings, while 51 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including 30 attackers and the rest in clashes.
Yedioth wrote that 'After calls to eliminate every terrorist and following the lynch (of the Eritrean in Beersheva), the Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein is putting things in order: It is permissible to shoot to kill only when there is clear and immediate danger to life. Weinstein makes clear: Whoever does not adhere to this rule - will be put on trial." Yedioth's legal affairs reporter, Tovah Tzimuki, wrote that Weinstein wrote his position in response to a petition by Adalah, the legal center for rights for Arabs in Israel, "to put on trial the police who shot to death or wounded innocent people." The Attorney General's office decided to bring Weinstein's response to the attention of the public. Weinstein said these rules are also valid in cases when police try to stop a suspect who tries to break free. Tzimuki writes that "Weinstein's announcement is meant to cool the winds and clarify that this is not the Wild West. The Attorney General speaks about police, but his words are directed to all security forces - and of course, also to civilians." Tzimuki reminds readers that when the stone-throwing and stabbings began, "some ministers said the police don't have the legal tools to fight the phenomenon, and police fear to respond aggressively for fear they will be put on trial." So, the cabinet decided to 'sharpen' the rules for opening fire, but "the decision was intentionally general and unclear. It wasn't said in what situation exactly one could shoot and in which one not, but the message was clear: it is permissible to use a lighter finger on the trigger without fear of being put on trial," writes Tzimuki. "As a result, following the new guideline, the scenes returned of terrorists charging civilians, police or soldiers with knives and being shot dead on the spot - even when there was not always a clear and immediate danger from the attacker. Calls by public personas asking civilians to join the security effort and neutralize attacking terrorists caused civilians to take the law into their hands and shoot terrorists without hesitation - in order to kill. The chaos in the streets reached a climax with the mistaken killing of an Eritrean civilian mistakenly identified as the terrorist during an attack at the Beersheva bus station..."
A second night of electricity outage in parts of Israel sparks anger at the Israeli Electricity Corporation for dragging its feet, one Israeli soldier injured and three Palestinians killed in Hebron over alleged stabbings and a Likud minister called for the Israeli flag to wave over the Temple Mount and got reprimanded by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Haaretz+ reported that Netanyahu showed his cards on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Yedioth reported that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein opposes the death-to-every-Palestinian-attacker response by Israelis to Palestinian attackers and Palestinians make diplomatic attempts abroad to stop the violence and the occupation.
The papers wrote at length about the incident in which an Israeli soldier was seriously wounded after a young Palestinian stabbed him near Hebron. The attacker Ra’ad Talgi, 22, from Sa’ir village, was shot dead. Haaretz+ reported that Talgi's final message on Twitter was a picture of a female attacker shot dead recently in Hebron with the text, “Imagine that she was your sister.”
However, the papers gave only one paragraph to report on the alleged attempt by Iyad Rawhi Jaradat, 19, to stab Israeli soldiers outside the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron a few hours later. Jaradat was shot dead and no Israelis were injured. The reports all presented as fact the IDF version of events and gave no other version. A relative of the terrorist, Iyad Rawhi Jaradat, 19, was shot dead later in the day by IDF forces during clashes that broke out when the IDF was trying to disperse a funeral march going towards the home of the attackr.
In a separate incident, just before 3pm on Monday, a Palestinian who tried to stab an Israeli soldier in Hebron. Israeli reports write that he was shot dead, but interestingly, Maan reported that an Israeli army spokesperson said he died on the way to an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem. [It is unusual for Israel to allow West Bank Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis to be taken to Israeli hospitals. – OH] No Israelis were hurt in the alleged attack.
Later in the evening a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip and fell in an open area near the border. No injuries or damage were caused. Ynet wrote that “a shadowy Gaza group, inspired by the Islamic State organization, claimed responsibility for the attack.” Israel responded by striking Hamas targets. No injuries were reported there either.
In the midst of a bloody conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, which broke out over Israel’s alleged changes to the status quo at the Temple Mount, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely declared Monday that she dreams of an Israeli flag flying over the hotspot. Hotovely (Likud) supports changing the status quo. A Zionist Camp MK Yoel Hasson called on Netanyahu to fire her by the end of the day. (Maariv/JPost)Netanyahu’s office rebuked her, saying that Israel remains committed to the Temple Mount status quo. Hotovely quickly said her comment was 'personal.’ Maariv's top political commentator, Ben Caspit, wrote, "Hotovely, 'the number one diplomat of the state,' according to her, raises everything to the sky in a storm. No one told her that as the senior diplomat of Israel, she has no personal opinion, and if she does, she should whisper it."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu revealed his view on the likelihood of peace to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. MKs at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting told Haaretz+ that Netanyahu hinted at the anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination and told the politicians present: "These days, there is talk about what would happen if this or that person would have remained. It's irrelevant; there are movements here of religion and Islam that have nothing to do with us." Netanyahu then turned to opposition MKs and said: "You think there is a magic wand here, but I disagree. I'm asked if we will forever live by the sword — yes." In a speech to the plenum Netanyahu blamed the Palestinians for no peace saying they weren’t willing to make territorial concessions, but he was. Arab MKs walked out.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders are making diplomatic attempts to end the violence. In Brussels, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited the EU headquarters for meetings and blamed Israel for the violence, saying that young Palestinians 'basically don't see any hope' for the future. In Cairo, Saeb Erekat announced that Palestinians will seek a deadline to the occupation and international protection in the UN Security Council as well as establishment of commission of inquiry into current violence. In the past five weeks, 11 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbings, while 51 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, including 30 attackers and the rest in clashes.
Yedioth wrote that 'After calls to eliminate every terrorist and following the lynch (of the Eritrean in Beersheva), the Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein is putting things in order: It is permissible to shoot to kill only when there is clear and immediate danger to life. Weinstein makes clear: Whoever does not adhere to this rule - will be put on trial." Yedioth's legal affairs reporter, Tovah Tzimuki, wrote that Weinstein wrote his position in response to a petition by Adalah, the legal center for rights for Arabs in Israel, "to put on trial the police who shot to death or wounded innocent people." The Attorney General's office decided to bring Weinstein's response to the attention of the public. Weinstein said these rules are also valid in cases when police try to stop a suspect who tries to break free. Tzimuki writes that "Weinstein's announcement is meant to cool the winds and clarify that this is not the Wild West. The Attorney General speaks about police, but his words are directed to all security forces - and of course, also to civilians." Tzimuki reminds readers that when the stone-throwing and stabbings began, "some ministers said the police don't have the legal tools to fight the phenomenon, and police fear to respond aggressively for fear they will be put on trial." So, the cabinet decided to 'sharpen' the rules for opening fire, but "the decision was intentionally general and unclear. It wasn't said in what situation exactly one could shoot and in which one not, but the message was clear: it is permissible to use a lighter finger on the trigger without fear of being put on trial," writes Tzimuki. "As a result, following the new guideline, the scenes returned of terrorists charging civilians, police or soldiers with knives and being shot dead on the spot - even when there was not always a clear and immediate danger from the attacker. Calls by public personas asking civilians to join the security effort and neutralize attacking terrorists caused civilians to take the law into their hands and shoot terrorists without hesitation - in order to kill. The chaos in the streets reached a climax with the mistaken killing of an Eritrean civilian mistakenly identified as the terrorist during an attack at the Beersheva bus station..."
Quick Hits:
- Peace education programs thrive amid violence - Peres Center for Peace reports increase in demand for joint Jewish and Arab educational programs amid concerns that recent wave of terror may lead to rift in Israeli society. (Ynet)
- Ministers Approve Bill Mandating Life Imprisonment for Terror Acts - Under the new bill, 'murder will be defined as murder and killers will be punished,'says Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. (Haaretz+)
- Security bolstered for Supreme Court judge due to threats - Concerns grow for Justice Uzi Vogelman's safety following his ruling suspending the razing of terrorists' homes. Courts director asks Knesset speaker to sanction Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev over "inciting Facebook post" against the judge. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli Police Remove Cameras Installed by Muslim Officials at Temple Mount - Move comes days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that cameras would be installed to help defuse tension at the site. (Haaretz+ and Maan)
- Current Grand Mufti: There Was Never a Jewish Temple on al-Aqsa Site - Sheik Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, grand mufti of Jerusalem, says there has been a mosque on the Temple Mount site 'since the creation of the world.' (JTA, Haaretz)
- US warns Netanyahu against unilateral steps in East Jerusalem - After PM raises possibility of revoking benefits from Palestinians living on other side of separation wall, Washington says such a move would 'be of concern. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Settlers attack Palestinian farmers picking olives near Nablus - Settlers from Elon Moreh threw rocks at farmers in the areas east of Nablus and attacked a 66-year-old man, identified as Hajj Tawfiq, moderately injuring him. The farmers were forced to leave their land despite having organized access to their fields through the Palestinian and Israeli liaison offices. (Maan)
- Israeli forces briefly detain journalists in eastern Hebron - Palestine TV news channel said Israeli soldiers detained TV crews and "deliberately" prevented the journalists from covering nearby events, adding that they were released after intervention by the Palestinian liaison department. (Maan)
- 20,000 Israelis Reportedly Sue Facebook for Failing to Stop Incitement to Terror - Suit alleges that Facebook has a 'legal and moral obligation' to block posts calling for Palestinians to attack Israelis. (JTA, Haaretz and Maariv)
- Israeli Defense Minister Leaves for Critical’ Meeting With U.S. Defense Chief - Defense officials expect two to discuss aid for Israel, in the wake of Iran nuclear deal. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- Hundreds of British Academics Sign Letter Vowing to Boycott Israel - In a full-page ad due to be published in the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday, the academics accuse Israel of illegal occupation, human rights violations and resisting a settlement. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Israeli Arab and Jewish Terror Suspects Indicted; Lynching Suspects Suspended - Brother of Bedouin terror suspect indicated for failing to prevent attack that killed soldier, while Jewish teen faces charges for stabbing Israeli Arabs. (Haaretz+)
- Slain Eritrean Asylum Seeker Was Also Shot by Border Policeman, Police Say - Both a security officer and a Border Policeman fired at the Eritrean man who was mistaken for a terrorist in Be'er Sheva. (Haaretz+)
- Netanyahu Taps Old-guard Likud Member for Panel on Nation-state Bill - Tzachi Hanegbi will head the committee to soften the wording of the bill recognizing Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Israeli Finance Minister Kahlon Pledges Softer Version of Nation-state Bill - He also says Netanyahu approached him about a joint ticket in the next election. (Haaretz+)
- Cabinet officially designates 3 terrorist groups - Islamic State, Nusra Front and Abdullah Azzam Brigades outlawed. Designation makes any contact with or funding of these groups punishable by long prison sentences. Decision in line with Israel's effort to fight terrorism on a global level. (Israel Hayom)
- Herzog to Netanyahu: You Stood Silently When People Called Rabin Traitor - 'There's no political process but there is terror,' Dalia Rabin told the memorial ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the assassination of her father. (Haaretz)
- Rabin's daughter: Israel did not learn from my father's murder - President Rivlin stresses slain prime minister's belief that there is no peace without a united Jerusalem, while Prime Minister Netanyahu warns of 'those among us that challenge our democracy.' (Ynet)
- Israel Military Releases Rare Yitzhak Rabin Archival Footage - Film clips released Sunday show Rabin in rare moments, including footage of him hearing that he had won the Nobel peace prize. (Haaretz+ and VIDEO)
- Israeli Mayor: Partners of Rabin's Assassin Now Rule Israel - Carmiel Mayor and Labor politician Adi Eldar, friend of late PM, slams far-right politicians for being 'partners in pulling the trigger.' (Haaretz+)
- Masa brings record 12,000 Jews to Israel this year - Despite ongoing wave of Palestinian terrorism, around 12,000 young Diaspora Jews arrive in Israel to take part in this year's Masa programs. "These young people are the reservists of the Jewish people," says Masa CEO Liran Avisar Ben-Horin. (Israel Hayom)
Features:
Hebron at eye of the storm as death toll rises
In just over a month, Israeli forces have killed 10 Palestinians in the sharply divided city. The toll, second only to that of Jerusalem, is indicative of a tension that has been building for years. “The people don’t sleep here,” said Jawad Abu Aisheh, a coordinator with Youth Against Settlements. (Killian Redden, Maan)
Poem of the Week Is Abraham Turning Over in His Grave?
Attention, Nobel Peace Prize committee: Erika Dreifus nominates a Palestinian from Hebron. (Vivian Eden, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
In just over a month, Israeli forces have killed 10 Palestinians in the sharply divided city. The toll, second only to that of Jerusalem, is indicative of a tension that has been building for years. “The people don’t sleep here,” said Jawad Abu Aisheh, a coordinator with Youth Against Settlements. (Killian Redden, Maan)
Poem of the Week Is Abraham Turning Over in His Grave?
Attention, Nobel Peace Prize committee: Erika Dreifus nominates a Palestinian from Hebron. (Vivian Eden, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Would It All Be Different if Yitzhak Rabin Had Lived? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Historians and journalists love to imagine that Rabin would have beaten
Netanyahu at the polls and gone on to sign peace agreements with Arafat and Assad. But that doesn't tally with
reality.
Questions remain on Rabin murder (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) If Yitzhak Rabin had not been killed, could he have navigated toward peace with the Palestinians?
Who was the real Rabin and what remains of Oslo (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) No one knows what would have happened had Israel's PM survived his assassination attempt, but 20 years of failure indicate that a peace deal with the Palestinians would not have been signed: The gaps were too big, the expectations were too high, and the leaders feared the political and personal price they would have to pay.
Behind the Scenes: How the Temple Mount Camera Deal Prevented a Serious Crisis With Jordan (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Senior U.S. officials tell Haaretz that there had been rapid deterioration in Israel-Jordan ties since mid-September, when the tensions over the Mount erupted (when a group of right-wing activists, led by Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, announced their intentions of going to pray on the Temple Mount, despite Jewish prayer being prohibited there – OH), nearly resulting in complete cutoff in relations.
The tradition of demolition (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Those familiar with Arab social norms know that razing terrorists' homes is in line with acceptable deterrent measures.
I Was a Palestinian Stone-thrower. Here's Why I Stopped (Aziz Abu Sarah, Haaretz+) I didn't believe stone-throwing would bring me freedom, but it gave me a voice and an outlet for powerlessness.
We didn’t realize how much Rabin was hated (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) The prime minister's bureau employees were unaware of the success of a false PR campaign, which firmly fixed distorted facts in people's minds, which are stuck in their heads to this very day.
Israel Must Not Accept an Anti-democratic, Purely Jewish Jerusalem (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu has made clear again and again that he has no intention of adding any substance to his declared readiness for a two-state solution.
Israel DID change the status quo on the Temple Mount/Haram el Sharif – two years ago (Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Times of Israel) in In the fall of 2013, the Israeli police, certainly with the permission of the government, changed the policy of preventing groups who advocate for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount/ Haram El Sharif to go up. Up until that time, the ritual was that these groups appealed to the High Court, the Court permitted it — conditional on the approval of the police — and the police refused. From the day that armed officers began accompanying these groups, I began to receive text messages about conflicts breaking out.
Zealots and Fools Should Not Oversee Jerusalem Holy Sites (Salman Masalha, Haaretz+) Only objective secularists can safeguard the holiness attributed to these sites, to preserve the holiness of humankind, and prevent bloodshed.
Bilingual Education Is the Key to Our Children’s Future (Ilana Nelson, Times of Israel) For those of us looking to expand our world, open up to those around us and educate our children in an acceptance and understanding of people from other religions and cultures, there is an outstanding opportunity standing right in of us: The Hand in Hand (Yad beYad) bilingual schools. We decided to send our two younger children to the Yad BeYad school in Jerusalem last year and we have been profoundly impacted by the experience.
Hasbara Fail: At Oxford, Students Don't Buy Israel's Case (Ilan Manor, Haaretz+) No public diplomacy campaign, no sloganeering and no infographic shared online can counter Israel's reputation as synonymous with bigotry, violence and the oppression of human rights.
What does the future hold for the Canada-Israel friendship? (Shimon Koffler Fogel, Ynet) Based on his statements of support and understanding of the challenges facing Israel, PM-designate Justin Trudeau is well positioned to carry the pro-Israel consensus forward. While the tone may change, there is ample evidence that support for Israel will remain a stable fixture of Canadian policy.
Netanyahu Seeks Redemption for His European Soul (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) At least he's trying to. But the Arabs are evil in the prime minister's eyes, while the Jews and the Europeans are like-minded, despite the Holocaust.
Questions remain on Rabin murder (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) If Yitzhak Rabin had not been killed, could he have navigated toward peace with the Palestinians?
Who was the real Rabin and what remains of Oslo (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) No one knows what would have happened had Israel's PM survived his assassination attempt, but 20 years of failure indicate that a peace deal with the Palestinians would not have been signed: The gaps were too big, the expectations were too high, and the leaders feared the political and personal price they would have to pay.
Behind the Scenes: How the Temple Mount Camera Deal Prevented a Serious Crisis With Jordan (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Senior U.S. officials tell Haaretz that there had been rapid deterioration in Israel-Jordan ties since mid-September, when the tensions over the Mount erupted (when a group of right-wing activists, led by Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, announced their intentions of going to pray on the Temple Mount, despite Jewish prayer being prohibited there – OH), nearly resulting in complete cutoff in relations.
The tradition of demolition (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) Those familiar with Arab social norms know that razing terrorists' homes is in line with acceptable deterrent measures.
I Was a Palestinian Stone-thrower. Here's Why I Stopped (Aziz Abu Sarah, Haaretz+) I didn't believe stone-throwing would bring me freedom, but it gave me a voice and an outlet for powerlessness.
We didn’t realize how much Rabin was hated (Eitan Haber, Yedioth/Ynet) The prime minister's bureau employees were unaware of the success of a false PR campaign, which firmly fixed distorted facts in people's minds, which are stuck in their heads to this very day.
Israel Must Not Accept an Anti-democratic, Purely Jewish Jerusalem (Haaretz Editorial) Netanyahu has made clear again and again that he has no intention of adding any substance to his declared readiness for a two-state solution.
Israel DID change the status quo on the Temple Mount/Haram el Sharif – two years ago (Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Times of Israel) in In the fall of 2013, the Israeli police, certainly with the permission of the government, changed the policy of preventing groups who advocate for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount/ Haram El Sharif to go up. Up until that time, the ritual was that these groups appealed to the High Court, the Court permitted it — conditional on the approval of the police — and the police refused. From the day that armed officers began accompanying these groups, I began to receive text messages about conflicts breaking out.
Zealots and Fools Should Not Oversee Jerusalem Holy Sites (Salman Masalha, Haaretz+) Only objective secularists can safeguard the holiness attributed to these sites, to preserve the holiness of humankind, and prevent bloodshed.
Bilingual Education Is the Key to Our Children’s Future (Ilana Nelson, Times of Israel) For those of us looking to expand our world, open up to those around us and educate our children in an acceptance and understanding of people from other religions and cultures, there is an outstanding opportunity standing right in of us: The Hand in Hand (Yad beYad) bilingual schools. We decided to send our two younger children to the Yad BeYad school in Jerusalem last year and we have been profoundly impacted by the experience.
Hasbara Fail: At Oxford, Students Don't Buy Israel's Case (Ilan Manor, Haaretz+) No public diplomacy campaign, no sloganeering and no infographic shared online can counter Israel's reputation as synonymous with bigotry, violence and the oppression of human rights.
What does the future hold for the Canada-Israel friendship? (Shimon Koffler Fogel, Ynet) Based on his statements of support and understanding of the challenges facing Israel, PM-designate Justin Trudeau is well positioned to carry the pro-Israel consensus forward. While the tone may change, there is ample evidence that support for Israel will remain a stable fixture of Canadian policy.
Netanyahu Seeks Redemption for His European Soul (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) At least he's trying to. But the Arabs are evil in the prime minister's eyes, while the Jews and the Europeans are like-minded, despite the Holocaust.
Interviews:
Men behind Oslo Accord: There's no leadership fighting for the future
Reality has sloped steeply downhill for Israel's left since the Oslo Accords and leaders who were then heroes of hope now see little light at the end of the tunnel. Yedioth interviews Dr. Uri Savir, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, Nissim Zvili, one of the past leaders of the left and the Labor Party that fought to change the paradigm that speaking to Arafat was forbidden and Ya'akov Peri, former head of the Shin Bet until just six months before Rabin's murder. (Interviewed by Nechama Duek in Yedioth/Ynet)
Reality has sloped steeply downhill for Israel's left since the Oslo Accords and leaders who were then heroes of hope now see little light at the end of the tunnel. Yedioth interviews Dr. Uri Savir, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, Nissim Zvili, one of the past leaders of the left and the Labor Party that fought to change the paradigm that speaking to Arafat was forbidden and Ya'akov Peri, former head of the Shin Bet until just six months before Rabin's murder. (Interviewed by Nechama Duek in Yedioth/Ynet)
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.