APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday November 3, 2015
Quote of the day:
“Enough, enough, enough! We don’t have to wait to reach a state of bloodshed. One can be an MK without
being a pyromaniac.”
--Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) calls on his coalition MKs not to visit the Temple Mount. Meanwhile, the Knesset Ethics Committee forbade it and the Police Chief prohibited it.
--Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) calls on his coalition MKs not to visit the Temple Mount. Meanwhile, the Knesset Ethics Committee forbade it and the Police Chief prohibited it.
You Must Be Kidding:
Israeli forces detain Palestinian children, aged 7 and 8, outside their home in E. Jerusalem and take them to police station, then release them.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Three severely wounded in two stabbing attacks in Rishon L’tzion and in Netanya
- Rehab instead of prison: Dorner Commission recommends fundamental change to punishment in Israel
- Brave and anti-populist // Ido Baum
- Knesset advancing bill in quick procedure that will make it easier to put people on trial for incitement
- Corruption affair in Israel Roads Authority: 20 senior employees arrested on suspicion of systematic bribery in the tens of millions
- (Minister) Ariel rejects the spaying budget of street cats and transfers it to research
- (Minister) Regev moving to replace the editors and the playlist of Army Radio
- Different versions regarding reason for plane crash in Sinai
- Sign of the enemy // Haaretz Editorial
- The discrimination in the budget begins in pre-school
- Putin, the real man // Nitzan Horowitz
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Terrorist with a knife runs after 80-year-old woman – 4 wounded in two stabbing attacks in Rishon L’tsion and Netanya
- He tried to lynch the terrorist and was almost a victim of a lynch
- Howls of laughter – Minister Ariel’s proposal to transfer cats abroad instead of spaying them sparked wave of laughter
- The killing that doesn’t end – In most countries the number killed from car accidents has dropped, but in Israel it has sharply risen
- Suspicion: Bribery, fraud and money-laundering – Former Likud MK Michael Gorolovsky is among the 18 arrested in the “Israel Roads” affair
- Did you buy an apartment abroad? New law will allow the state to know if you are reporting or evading (tax)
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- “No security” - Dozens took to the streets in spontaneous demonstrations following the attacks in Rishon L'tsion and Netanya; Two seriously wounded; Police prevented lynch of 2 terrorists
- Dispute between Military Intel chief and Minister Elkin
- Former MK and daughter of former MK arrested (in Israel Roads Authority corruption affair)
- Following Maariv expose on youth doing sports gambling: Knesset Education Committee in sharp criticism of Education system
Israel Hayom
- Attacks in Rishon L’tzion and Netanyah: Police prevented lynch of stabbers – Four Israelis wounded, three of them seriously
- Anger – justifiable, lynch – not // Dan Margalit
- Protest in Israel: “European Union’s intention to publish guidelines for labeling settlement products – prize to terror”
- Suspicion of bribery in the millions, favors and appointments: investigation into the affair at ‘Israel Roads Authority’; Some 20 arrested, including former MK Gorolovsky, the daughter of another MK and senior officials in the organization
News Summary:
Two stabbing attacks took place in central Israel, the Israeli Military Intelligence chief blamed Palestinian violence on the Palestinian youths’ rage and frustration on the lack of a diplomatic horizon, the police revealed that the Palestinians who murdered the Henkin couple in the West Bank said they did it out of revenge for the murders of the Dawabshe family and as a warning, and police arrested senior civil service employees of the Israel Roads Authority in a suspected corruption case making top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Maariv reported on how Jewish paranoia almost cost two people their lives on a bus.
After a couple weeks in which most of the Palestinian violence was over the Green Line, Israelis were shocked and scared when two different attacks took place in central Israel, seriously wounding three people, including an immigrant from France. The papers emphasized that the police stopped the lynching of both of the Palestinian attackers, in one case by locking him in a store to protect him from a mob. Interestingly, Israel Hayom’s top political commentator Dan Margalit wrote today in an Op-Ed titled, 'Restraint is Key' that Israelis should not lynch terrorists, but yesterday he wrote, “terrorists should be shot dead.”
The stabbing attacks have made Israelis fearful of anyone who looks Arab. Maariv reported about a drama that took place on bus #274 when a woman shouted "terrorist" and passengers fled off the bus. One passenger told Maariv: “Two people were isolated. It turns out that one was a Jew and the other a resident of Nablus/Shchem, who had a permit to be in Israel. Amazingly, the person who helped the Jewish man down from the bus was the Palestinian who was in the end checked by security forces and afterward returned to the bus.” Maariv also ran a first-person piece by Neta Bar, another passenger on the bus. “The confusion was total. The police detained a young Palestinian man, a resident of Nablus, who hurried to pull out this permit to be in Israel. A woman who escaped from the bus with him rushed to protect him. 'He didn’t do anything. He helped me escape,' she told police. The man was released. Ironically, it was a Jewish Israeli citizen, a resident of Beit Dagan, who sparked the police’s suspicions. He was the first to escape from the bus and ordered the driver to open the door. 'A policeman came up to me with their weapons drawn,' he told me later, after he had calmed down and sat back down next to me on the bus. 'I yelled at him that I was Jewish and not to shoot me.' Two innocent people could have easily found their death in the incident. It turns out that in the insane reality in which we live, panic can be no less dangerous than terror.”
An argument broke out during a ‘top secret’ briefing of Israeli government ministers by IDF Intelligence Chief Herzl Halevi, Haaretz+ and Maariv reported. According to Maariv’s Ben Caspit, Halevi told ministers that from the Palestinian viewpoint there were three reasons for Palestinian violence: 1.) the tension and the attempts by Israel to change the status quo at the Temple Mount, 2.) the attack on the Dawabshe family that was not solved and 3.) the frustration and despair among Palestinians over the lack of a political horizon on the diplomatic front [i.e. that they would remain under Israeli military occupation – OH] caused them to make attacks because they “felt they had nothing to lose.” That was the exact opposite of what Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other members of his coalition have said: namely that the violence from Palestinians is motivated by a deep hatred of Jews and incitement. Caspit wrote that Halevi also said that the Palestinian security forces have been trying to thwart Palestinian attacks and continue to work closely with Israel. Immigrant Absorption Minister Zeev Elkin slammed Halevi for not emphasizing the effect of incitement on the Palestinian side, accused of him being political and said he was acting like a spokesman for the Palestinians. Haaretz+’s Barak Ravid wrote that “Halevi’s remarks reflect the predominant position that members of the Israeli security establishment in general, and the IDF in particular, have been presenting to the cabinet and the inner cabinet since the escalation began several weeks ago. Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and other generals have been pushing for a much less aggressive approach than that advocated by cabinet members.” According to Caspit, Halevi responded saying his job is not to determine why the wave of terror broke out, but to explain what the enemy thinks and what the enemy says on these issues. “What I say and share,” stressed the head of Military Intelligence, “is what goes on in the head of the enemy.” The discussion turned into an argument and some of the ministers and the IDF brass felt ill at ease, wrote Caspit.
Two stabbing attacks took place in central Israel, the Israeli Military Intelligence chief blamed Palestinian violence on the Palestinian youths’ rage and frustration on the lack of a diplomatic horizon, the police revealed that the Palestinians who murdered the Henkin couple in the West Bank said they did it out of revenge for the murders of the Dawabshe family and as a warning, and police arrested senior civil service employees of the Israel Roads Authority in a suspected corruption case making top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Maariv reported on how Jewish paranoia almost cost two people their lives on a bus.
After a couple weeks in which most of the Palestinian violence was over the Green Line, Israelis were shocked and scared when two different attacks took place in central Israel, seriously wounding three people, including an immigrant from France. The papers emphasized that the police stopped the lynching of both of the Palestinian attackers, in one case by locking him in a store to protect him from a mob. Interestingly, Israel Hayom’s top political commentator Dan Margalit wrote today in an Op-Ed titled, 'Restraint is Key' that Israelis should not lynch terrorists, but yesterday he wrote, “terrorists should be shot dead.”
The stabbing attacks have made Israelis fearful of anyone who looks Arab. Maariv reported about a drama that took place on bus #274 when a woman shouted "terrorist" and passengers fled off the bus. One passenger told Maariv: “Two people were isolated. It turns out that one was a Jew and the other a resident of Nablus/Shchem, who had a permit to be in Israel. Amazingly, the person who helped the Jewish man down from the bus was the Palestinian who was in the end checked by security forces and afterward returned to the bus.” Maariv also ran a first-person piece by Neta Bar, another passenger on the bus. “The confusion was total. The police detained a young Palestinian man, a resident of Nablus, who hurried to pull out this permit to be in Israel. A woman who escaped from the bus with him rushed to protect him. 'He didn’t do anything. He helped me escape,' she told police. The man was released. Ironically, it was a Jewish Israeli citizen, a resident of Beit Dagan, who sparked the police’s suspicions. He was the first to escape from the bus and ordered the driver to open the door. 'A policeman came up to me with their weapons drawn,' he told me later, after he had calmed down and sat back down next to me on the bus. 'I yelled at him that I was Jewish and not to shoot me.' Two innocent people could have easily found their death in the incident. It turns out that in the insane reality in which we live, panic can be no less dangerous than terror.”
An argument broke out during a ‘top secret’ briefing of Israeli government ministers by IDF Intelligence Chief Herzl Halevi, Haaretz+ and Maariv reported. According to Maariv’s Ben Caspit, Halevi told ministers that from the Palestinian viewpoint there were three reasons for Palestinian violence: 1.) the tension and the attempts by Israel to change the status quo at the Temple Mount, 2.) the attack on the Dawabshe family that was not solved and 3.) the frustration and despair among Palestinians over the lack of a political horizon on the diplomatic front [i.e. that they would remain under Israeli military occupation – OH] caused them to make attacks because they “felt they had nothing to lose.” That was the exact opposite of what Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other members of his coalition have said: namely that the violence from Palestinians is motivated by a deep hatred of Jews and incitement. Caspit wrote that Halevi also said that the Palestinian security forces have been trying to thwart Palestinian attacks and continue to work closely with Israel. Immigrant Absorption Minister Zeev Elkin slammed Halevi for not emphasizing the effect of incitement on the Palestinian side, accused of him being political and said he was acting like a spokesman for the Palestinians. Haaretz+’s Barak Ravid wrote that “Halevi’s remarks reflect the predominant position that members of the Israeli security establishment in general, and the IDF in particular, have been presenting to the cabinet and the inner cabinet since the escalation began several weeks ago. Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and other generals have been pushing for a much less aggressive approach than that advocated by cabinet members.” According to Caspit, Halevi responded saying his job is not to determine why the wave of terror broke out, but to explain what the enemy thinks and what the enemy says on these issues. “What I say and share,” stressed the head of Military Intelligence, “is what goes on in the head of the enemy.” The discussion turned into an argument and some of the ministers and the IDF brass felt ill at ease, wrote Caspit.
Quick Hits:
- “We did it to avenge the murder of the Dawabshe familyת” say murderers of Henkin couple - In their confession, the two Palestinians behind October West Bank shooting said they didn't murder the couple's children because Islam forbids it, but that they carried out the attack “so the settlers would understand that everything they do has a price and in the future they should think a hundred times before murdering Palestinians.” (Haaretz+, Maariv and Ynet)
- Druze citizen: 'I was attacked for speaking Arabic' - Wael Shaalan, a resident of Netanya, filed a complaint with police after being verbally and physically attacked near his work in Netanya. Police took 20 minutes to come, he said. “If we were talking about an Arab that attacked a Jew I would have seen a lot more police and the situation would have been treated differently," he concluded. (Ynet)
- Israel Police Chief (and Knesset Committee) Bans Israeli Lawmakers From Temple Mount - Knesset Ethics Committee decided that from now, visits by MKs to the Temple Mount and the Al-Aqsa Mosque will be considered a violation of the Knesset’s ethical code, due to the current security situation. (Haaretz+, Israel Hayom and Maariv)
- Knesset Passes First Reading of New Anti-incitement Bill - Justice Ministry-led bill lowers threshold for what constitutes incitement to violence or terror, and will allow state to file more indictments against alleged inciters. (Haaretz+)
- Indictment submitted against 32-year-old woman for incitement - An indictment against a 32-year-old (Arab-Israeli) woman from Reineh was submitted on Monday to the district court in Nazareth accusing her of urging terrorism and violence on Facebook and YouTube in recent weeks. (Ynet)
- The ‘Minors’ Intifada’ requires acting with creativity and determination " - Bills to amend the Youth Law and to amend the Penal Code passed second and third reading. This will allow the imposition of fines, court costs, and obligation to pay compensation even on parents whose children have been convicted and sent to prison. (Maariv)
- Ministers sign off on airborne firework ban - Economy Minister Aryeh Deri will sign a directive drafted by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan to permanently ban the import of the fireworks, which have injured Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem. (Ynet)
- EU to Issue Settlement Product Labeling Guidelines Next Week, Senior Israeli Officials Say - Neither the Foreign Ministry nor the Prime Minister’s Office have practically any detail on the contents of the new guidelines, which at this stage are closely guarded. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
- Israeli forces shoot, injure 8 with live fire following funeral - Before clashes broke out in the village of Qutna, thousands had attended the funeral of the two men, whose bodies were released from Israeli custody on Sunday. (Maan)
- Israeli forces injure 21 at memorial for slain student in Abu Dis - Israeli forces on Monday shot and injured 21 Palestinian students with rubber-coated steel bullets at Abu Dis' Al-Quds Open University campus during a demonstration marking 40 days since the death of student Dia Talahmeh. (Maan)
- Israel demolishes two Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem - In Beit Hanina, Israeli forces demolished the home with all of the families' belongings inside and severed water and electricity to nearby properties in the neighborhood. In Jabal Mukaber it destroyed a home on the pretext that the property lacked a building permit and forced family out at gunpoint. (Maan)
- Israeli forces detain Palestinian children, aged 7 and 8, in Jerusalem - The mother of Yusif Hasan Abu Khdeir, 7, said that her son and Omar Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 8, were playing outside their home when they were detained for allegedly having slingshots and were taken to a police station and later released without being interrogated. Israeli forces have come under repeated criticism for their treatment of Palestinian children. (Maan)
- Israeli Police Start Removing East Jerusalem Checkpoints, Palestinians Report - The remaining roadblocks are mostly in Arab neighborhoods where Jews (settlers) have moved in, including Ras al-Amud, Silwan and Jabal Mukkaber, as well as in locations that have seen violent protests. Jerusalem also freezes permission to construct some 88 housing units in Ramat Shlomo at request of Prime Minister's Office. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli forces shoot, injure Palestinian with live fire in Gaza - Local sources said the protester was shot in the leg after he and dozens of others approached the border fence in central Gaza during a demonstration in the area. (Maan)
- Schools nix trips to Western Wall over terror wave - Western Wall Heritage Foundation confirms that the compound has seen a notable drop in school visits. "As parents, we are concerned, though I am sure trips can continue to other places around the country," says Dimona parents' committee head. (Israel Hayom)
- Watch: Palestinian smashed bottle on head of a tour guide in (E.) Jerusalem - Resident, 22, of Jabal Mukabber in E. Jerusalem attacked a tourist (apparently outside Old City's Damascus Gate - OH), after apparently suspecting she was Israeli (man with her wearing kippah). He was arrested by Border Police officers. The woman, 45, was lightly injured. (Maariv)
- Shimon Peres: Netanyahu's Peace Overtures Have Never Escaped Domain of Talking - 'Alternative to two states is continued war and nobody can maintain a war forever. If you say we should live on our sword don't forget that there are other swords as well,' former president says. Says that it is 'better to have a Jewish state on part of the land than have the whole land without the Jewish state.’ (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Diplomatic isolation is just an empty media threat' - Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely tells trainee diplomats: "The Israel of 2015 is strong diplomatically, and you will play a role in further developing our ties and battling against the voices seeking to delegitimize our moral standing in the world." (Israel Hayom)
- Erekat: World must assume responsibility for Balfour Declaration - PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat released a statement marking the 98th anniversary of the Balfour declaration, calling on the international community to "remediate" decades of occupation and exile."Ninety-eight years ago, the destiny of our nation changed due to the action of a foreign colonial power. The Balfour Declaration should serve as a reminder that what is happening in Palestine is a result of colonial decisions made in faraway capitals," he said. (Maan)
- Israeli Panel Calls to Shorten Jail Terms, Improve Rehab for Offenders - Recommendations represent a change in approach on incarceration and assert that stiffer sentencing does not lead to lower rates of crime. (Haaretz+)
- Miri Regev Trying to Change Army Radio's Tune - The culture and sports minister wants popular Israeli radio station Galgalatz to play more local music, with the aim of 'creating cultural justice.' (Haaretz+)
- Oxford Union Backs Motion Opposing Israel Boycott - Prestigious debate society votes in favor of Alan Dershowitz-proposed motion entitled 'Is the BDS movement against Israel wrong?' (Haaretz)
- The battle for the title of "Europe's strongest Jew' heats up - In Europe, preparations for elections for the position of president of the European Jewish Congress. Various candidates are expected to hold an emotional election campaign at a cost of millions of euros for each, in the fight for the votes of the representatives of the communities. (Maariv)
- Israel ranks 6th on list of world's healthiest countries - Bloomberg world health rankings place Israel after Singapore, Italy, Australia, Switzerland and Japan. U.K. ranks 21st and U.S. only 33rd. Indicators include life expectancy, smoking rates, immunization rates. Swaziland lowest-ranked of 145 countries. (Israel Hayom)
- ISIS issues second Hebrew-speaking video threatening Israel - "We will get you soon, grandchildren of monkeys and pigs," Islamic State member says in fluent Hebrew while waving a knife in most recent video. "We are coming for you from all over the world to butcher you with a knife like sheep," he says. (Israel Hayom)
- Jordanian sheikh stirs controversy with fatwa against killing Jews - Sheikh Ali Halabi said in a video distributed via social media that Jews can be killed during war only, and that killing them at other times is a betrayal. (Maariv/JPost)
- Iran Says Started to Implement Nuclear Deal - Measures include reducing the number of active centrifuges, Tehran's nuclear chief says. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Iran Says May Walk Away From Syria Talks, Cites Saudi Arabia's 'Negative Role' - Tensions between the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia are dampening hopes for efforts to east the turmoil across the Middle East. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- UN: More Asylum-seekers Crossed the Med in October Than in All of 2014 - More than 218,000 crossed the Mediterranean Sea last month, highlighting the strain of European policymakers under the unprecedented flood of refugees and migrants. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Don't Be Fooled by Netanyahu's Sleight of Hand on Settlements (Peace Now's Lara Friedman and Hagit
Ofran, Haaretz+) Rejecting any claim that settlements play a part in the current violence,
Netanyahu has adopted data showing he's built less than his predecessors. But don't believe the
statistics.
Getting out of the traffic jams to collect a parcel from the post office and evade being stabbed - Hit the road! (Dror Raphael, Maariv) Welcome to ‘Survivor Israel." You are the participants. Good luck!
Bill Seeking to Out Foreign-funded NGOs Marks New Stage of Incitement Against Israeli Left (Haaretz Editorial) If this right-wing government continues to mark its ideological 'enemies,' it will eventually eradicate Israel's democracy.
Self-persuasion, not reconciliation (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Once again, the Rabin rally was politicized, taking away from its true purpose.
Turkey Vote Positions Erdogan as Powerful Leader of Divided People (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Turkey's strongman may have enough support to become an American-style president, and to change the constitution and the very nature of his nation.
Too Many Israeli Leaders Seek to Follow the Putin Model (Nitzan Horowitz, Haaretz+) The Russian leader would appeal to a country whose democracy is unstable, whose leadership views democratic values and human rights as a dangerous threat.
Shoot to kill (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Terrorists must be shot dead. But holding on to their bodies is counterproductive. Once they are dead, our quarrel with them is over.
20 Years Later, Rabin's Peace Policies Have Been Erased (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) Israeli deniers of the truth must be reminded of one thing: The premier was murdered because he supported peace.
As 20th Anniversary of Rabin's Murder Approaches, Netanyahu Still Hasn't Apologized (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) It's true Netanyahu did not want a murder. But incitement doesn't follow the inciter's plan. It has ways to bring the hand to the knife, the finger to the trigger.
Where is the Left's Bibi? (Baruch Leshem, Ynet) While the government can't be toppled at the moment, the political center and left have the tools to organize mass protests under the winning slogan, 'No peace, no security, no reason to vote Netanyahu.' But the opposition is still sleeping.
When will Israel have a leader like Bill Clinton? (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Why can't Netanyahu offer his citizens wise, optimistic, comforting and uniting words - like the former US President did at the Rabin rally - instead of promising us that we will forever live by the sword?
Apathetic Egyptian Public Did Not Head to Polling Stations in Droves’ (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) The economic crisis, terrorism and, especially, the fading of hope are the cause of the low voter turnout in the Egyptian parliamentary election.
Getting out of the traffic jams to collect a parcel from the post office and evade being stabbed - Hit the road! (Dror Raphael, Maariv) Welcome to ‘Survivor Israel." You are the participants. Good luck!
Bill Seeking to Out Foreign-funded NGOs Marks New Stage of Incitement Against Israeli Left (Haaretz Editorial) If this right-wing government continues to mark its ideological 'enemies,' it will eventually eradicate Israel's democracy.
Self-persuasion, not reconciliation (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) Once again, the Rabin rally was politicized, taking away from its true purpose.
Turkey Vote Positions Erdogan as Powerful Leader of Divided People (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Turkey's strongman may have enough support to become an American-style president, and to change the constitution and the very nature of his nation.
Too Many Israeli Leaders Seek to Follow the Putin Model (Nitzan Horowitz, Haaretz+) The Russian leader would appeal to a country whose democracy is unstable, whose leadership views democratic values and human rights as a dangerous threat.
Shoot to kill (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Terrorists must be shot dead. But holding on to their bodies is counterproductive. Once they are dead, our quarrel with them is over.
20 Years Later, Rabin's Peace Policies Have Been Erased (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) Israeli deniers of the truth must be reminded of one thing: The premier was murdered because he supported peace.
As 20th Anniversary of Rabin's Murder Approaches, Netanyahu Still Hasn't Apologized (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) It's true Netanyahu did not want a murder. But incitement doesn't follow the inciter's plan. It has ways to bring the hand to the knife, the finger to the trigger.
Where is the Left's Bibi? (Baruch Leshem, Ynet) While the government can't be toppled at the moment, the political center and left have the tools to organize mass protests under the winning slogan, 'No peace, no security, no reason to vote Netanyahu.' But the opposition is still sleeping.
When will Israel have a leader like Bill Clinton? (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) Why can't Netanyahu offer his citizens wise, optimistic, comforting and uniting words - like the former US President did at the Rabin rally - instead of promising us that we will forever live by the sword?
Apathetic Egyptian Public Did Not Head to Polling Stations in Droves’ (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) The economic crisis, terrorism and, especially, the fading of hope are the cause of the low voter turnout in the Egyptian parliamentary election.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.