APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday January 5, 2016
Quote of the day:
"By staying silent, by refraining from the kind of forceful, game-changing protest that the current
situation warrants, American Jews are not only abandoning like-minded Israelis, they are betraying Israel
itself."
--Haaretz's Washington correspondent Chemi Shalev writes that if the "waves of chauvinistic anti-democratic legislation and incitement" were washing over the US, Jewish Americans would not stay silent.**
--Haaretz's Washington correspondent Chemi Shalev writes that if the "waves of chauvinistic anti-democratic legislation and incitement" were washing over the US, Jewish Americans would not stay silent.**
You Must Be Kidding:
Two Israeli Arabs were forced to get off a plane before the flight home from Greece due to the demand of a group of Jewish Israeli passengers, who stood up preventing the plane from taking off until they did.***
Breaking News:
Palestinian shot dead after lightly wounding soldier in stabbing in West Bank (Haaretz, Maariv and Maan)
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Hezbollah detonates bomb on IDF force on Lebanon border
- An intentionally limited response or a sign of more to come // Amos Harel
- Police raided apartments of Arabs in Tel-Aviv; Another relative of shooter arrested
- 15-year-old lightly wounded (by police) in (attempted) stabbing attack in Jerusalem
- Netanyahu in cabinet: We need to prepare for possibility the Palestinian Authority will collapse
- Refugee crisis: Sweden and Denmark tighten supervision of their borders
- Following reform in mental health (system), many recruits will pass mental health exam in IDF
- Haim Guri won literature prize for “Zionist works of art” – and refused to receive it
- Irresponsible gunslingers // Haaretz Editorial
- Cottage cheese of the bourgeoisie // Avirama Golan
- In Netanyahu’s lane // Avi Bar-Eli
Yedioth Ahronoth
- House to house hunt - City without security // Sima Kadmon
- Like in CSI: This is how they are trying to “get into the head” of the terrorist
- Mine detonated at Mt. Dov
- War of minds // Alex Fishman
- Starting over - Female soldier, Doron Ganon, who was shot in a bar, returns home
- The vaccinations oversight – Why did they run out?
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links)
- Neighborhood of fear
- Wave of terror continues: 15-year-old lightly injured from shrapnel (by police) in attack attempt in Jerusalem
- Kuntar’s brother: We put a ‘V’ on our account with Israel
- Weakened terror organization // Yossi Melman
- For second time: Sara Netanyahu was questioned under warning
Israel Hayom
- Father of terrorist: Turn yourself in
- Tension in north: Our forces returned fire after Hezbollah attack
- (Rabbi) Pinto’s judgment day: Ruling in his appeal
- Storm over Army Radio in Knesset: “Give Mizrachi music a place”
- Crisis worsens: Saudi Arabia also stops commercial flights to Iran
News Summary:
Tel-Aviv residents still living in fear as police continued to hunt for the Arab-Israeli shooter and Hezbollah detonated a roadside bomb on an Israeli military vehicle on the Lebanon border making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, a teenage Israeli girl was lightly wounded by police fire aimed at a teenage Palestinian boy who was believed to have attempted to stab police in Jerusalem and two Arab Israelis get off a plane after Jewish Israeli passengers refused to let the plane fly with them on.
Mohammed, the father of Nashat Melhem, 29, the Arab Israeli who murdered three Israelis Friday, called on his son to turn himself in. Police still have not been able to locate Melhem. Despite saying yesterday that he probably expected to die when he opened fire on a pub on Dizengoff Street in Tel-Aviv, now police say that if he’s still alive he probably prepared a hideout apartment where he has food and water. The Police commissioner asked for the help of the IDF and last night soldiers and dogs from the Oketz unit were seen in streets of Tel-Aviv. Police also looked for him at various sites, where he may have committed suicide. (Maariv) Arab students and Arab residents living in Tel-Aviv told Haaretz+ that police were tearing through their homes “as if the terrorist were hiding on a shelf.” While most papers reported how scared residents of the city that never stops are staying home and not going out to restaurants, cafes and bars, Israel Hayom reported that life is getting back to normal. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu permitted the release of Melhem’s photos despite objections from the Shin Bet and the Police Commissioner, Roni Alsheich, the latter who is getting rapped for his handling of the shooting and not advising the public how to act. The police say that the Arab-Israeli taxi driver, Amir Shaaban, who was found murdered in Tel-Aviv an hour after the attack on Dizengoff St., was likely Melhem’s third victim. Walla website reported that Israel asked the Palestinian Authority for help in finding Melhem, in case he fled to the West Bank.
In the ongoing controversy over Netanyahu’s speech to Arab Israelis Saturday night, in which many said he incited against the whole sector by indirectly blaming them, now Netanyahu has formulated conditions for the Arab sector to receive the transfer of the budget of billions of shekels that was approved last week. Arab leaders told Maariv: "It is becoming fashionable to speak out against the Arab sector, but it should not prevent a comprehensive plan meant to help an entire sector.” Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On said it was the continuation of Netanyahu’s despicable incitement show from on Saturday night from the site of the attack. Among other things, the budget is designed to reduce the gaps between between Arabs and Jews in education, public transport, road infrastructure, activities to encourage employment and entrepreneurship, internal security and law enforcement.
In retaliation for Samir Kuntar's killing, a Hezbollah roadside bomb targeted an IDF patrol on the Israel-Lebanon border in the disputed Mt. Dov/Shebaa Farms area. The IDF said no Israeli soldiers were wounded, but Hezbollah says they all must have been. Israeli authorities told residents in the area to stay home and IDF artillery batteries reportedly shot at 50 sites in southern Lebanon. Maariv reported that the cell that planted the bomb was named after "martyr" Samir Kuntar. Kuntar’s brother said that Hezbollah marked a "V" on its open account with Israel. Although the IDF said there were no casualties, Hezbollah claimed the bomb destroyed a ‘Hummer’ jeep and all the soldiers inside were injured. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also made a statement saying that "The blood of Kuntar is still forcing the soldiers and officers of the enemy to hide in burrows all along the border. They are waiting and we are waiting. They're afraid. Now the snow has come and made it even harder for them...They are trapped in their burrows even more, but in any case we are waiting also and G-d loves those who wait. It is important that they understand that the murder of our brothers and the shedding of our blood will not pass easily and Israelis need to fear and hide. The response will come, G-d willing."
***Two Israeli Arabs taken off plane due to demands of Israeli passengers
A routine flight from Greece to Israel turned into a big incident after a group of Jewish Israeli tourists stood up and announced they would not let the plane take off if the two Arab Israelis remained on board. A bitter dispute broke out and continued for one hour. After talking with the airline staff, the two Arab passengers got off and received compensation. But the Jewish Israelis were not satisfied and demanded that all luggage be removed from the plane and pass through another security check, at which point the pilot got angry and said that would not happen and they were welcome to get off the plane, but they would not receive any compensation. The Israeli group returned to their seats and the plane took off. The Arab passengers returned to Israel the following day. Adv. Nidal Othman, from the Coalition Against Racism in Israel: “The present situation and the racist discourse that is spreading like wildfire bring with them each day new cases of humiliation and racism of Israeli citizens towards each other.” (Maariv)
Tel-Aviv residents still living in fear as police continued to hunt for the Arab-Israeli shooter and Hezbollah detonated a roadside bomb on an Israeli military vehicle on the Lebanon border making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, a teenage Israeli girl was lightly wounded by police fire aimed at a teenage Palestinian boy who was believed to have attempted to stab police in Jerusalem and two Arab Israelis get off a plane after Jewish Israeli passengers refused to let the plane fly with them on.
Mohammed, the father of Nashat Melhem, 29, the Arab Israeli who murdered three Israelis Friday, called on his son to turn himself in. Police still have not been able to locate Melhem. Despite saying yesterday that he probably expected to die when he opened fire on a pub on Dizengoff Street in Tel-Aviv, now police say that if he’s still alive he probably prepared a hideout apartment where he has food and water. The Police commissioner asked for the help of the IDF and last night soldiers and dogs from the Oketz unit were seen in streets of Tel-Aviv. Police also looked for him at various sites, where he may have committed suicide. (Maariv) Arab students and Arab residents living in Tel-Aviv told Haaretz+ that police were tearing through their homes “as if the terrorist were hiding on a shelf.” While most papers reported how scared residents of the city that never stops are staying home and not going out to restaurants, cafes and bars, Israel Hayom reported that life is getting back to normal. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu permitted the release of Melhem’s photos despite objections from the Shin Bet and the Police Commissioner, Roni Alsheich, the latter who is getting rapped for his handling of the shooting and not advising the public how to act. The police say that the Arab-Israeli taxi driver, Amir Shaaban, who was found murdered in Tel-Aviv an hour after the attack on Dizengoff St., was likely Melhem’s third victim. Walla website reported that Israel asked the Palestinian Authority for help in finding Melhem, in case he fled to the West Bank.
In the ongoing controversy over Netanyahu’s speech to Arab Israelis Saturday night, in which many said he incited against the whole sector by indirectly blaming them, now Netanyahu has formulated conditions for the Arab sector to receive the transfer of the budget of billions of shekels that was approved last week. Arab leaders told Maariv: "It is becoming fashionable to speak out against the Arab sector, but it should not prevent a comprehensive plan meant to help an entire sector.” Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On said it was the continuation of Netanyahu’s despicable incitement show from on Saturday night from the site of the attack. Among other things, the budget is designed to reduce the gaps between between Arabs and Jews in education, public transport, road infrastructure, activities to encourage employment and entrepreneurship, internal security and law enforcement.
In retaliation for Samir Kuntar's killing, a Hezbollah roadside bomb targeted an IDF patrol on the Israel-Lebanon border in the disputed Mt. Dov/Shebaa Farms area. The IDF said no Israeli soldiers were wounded, but Hezbollah says they all must have been. Israeli authorities told residents in the area to stay home and IDF artillery batteries reportedly shot at 50 sites in southern Lebanon. Maariv reported that the cell that planted the bomb was named after "martyr" Samir Kuntar. Kuntar’s brother said that Hezbollah marked a "V" on its open account with Israel. Although the IDF said there were no casualties, Hezbollah claimed the bomb destroyed a ‘Hummer’ jeep and all the soldiers inside were injured. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also made a statement saying that "The blood of Kuntar is still forcing the soldiers and officers of the enemy to hide in burrows all along the border. They are waiting and we are waiting. They're afraid. Now the snow has come and made it even harder for them...They are trapped in their burrows even more, but in any case we are waiting also and G-d loves those who wait. It is important that they understand that the murder of our brothers and the shedding of our blood will not pass easily and Israelis need to fear and hide. The response will come, G-d willing."
***Two Israeli Arabs taken off plane due to demands of Israeli passengers
A routine flight from Greece to Israel turned into a big incident after a group of Jewish Israeli tourists stood up and announced they would not let the plane take off if the two Arab Israelis remained on board. A bitter dispute broke out and continued for one hour. After talking with the airline staff, the two Arab passengers got off and received compensation. But the Jewish Israelis were not satisfied and demanded that all luggage be removed from the plane and pass through another security check, at which point the pilot got angry and said that would not happen and they were welcome to get off the plane, but they would not receive any compensation. The Israeli group returned to their seats and the plane took off. The Arab passengers returned to Israel the following day. Adv. Nidal Othman, from the Coalition Against Racism in Israel: “The present situation and the racist discourse that is spreading like wildfire bring with them each day new cases of humiliation and racism of Israeli citizens towards each other.” (Maariv)
Quick Hits:
- Netanyahu warns cabinet: Israel must prepare for collapse of Palestinian Authority - Prime minister instructs cabinet to do everything possible to prevent a collapse, but to prepare for a worst-case scenario. (Haaretz+)
- UN human rights envoy resigns, accuses Israel of denying access - Makarim Wibisono says repeated requests to access West Bank and Gaza Strip have gone unanswered for 18 months; Israel says decision to prevent access came because of 'distorted and biased mandate given to the rapporteur.' (Agencies, Ynet)
- Israeli Rights Groups Warn of Palestinian Hunger-striker's Poor Health - Mohammed al-Qeeq, 33, a married father of two who works as a journalist in Ramallah, suspected by Israel of incitement and held without trial or proper legal representation, has refused food for over 40 days. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli forces detain famed hunger striker Khader Adnan - Witnesses told Ma'an that an Israeli military vehicle stopped a private car Adnan was driving near Silwad village east of Ramallah and took him to an unknown location. (Maan)
- Hamas forces detain satirical journalist in Gaza - Ayman al-Aloul’s wife said that al-Aloul was arrested from their home by Gaza's internal security service, who also confiscated her and her husband's mobile phones and laptops. (Maan)
- Israel charges two 12-year-old Palestinian boys with attempted murder - The boys were detained from their homes last Wednesday and charged Sunday with attempted murder and possession of knives. The court judge decided to send Shadi Farrah and Ahmed Zatari to reformatories. According to Israeli watchdog Military Court Watch, there were 407 Palestinian children in Israeli custody at the end of November. (Maan)
- Israeli forces shoot, injure 11 Palestinians after funeral - Israeli forces shot and injured seven Palestinians with live fire, and four more with rubber-coated steel bullets following a funeral procession for Ahmad Jamal Taha, 16 in Kattana village. (Maan)
- Thousands attend joint funeral of 2 Palestinians in Qalandiya - Both Ahmad Jajahja and Hikmat Hamdan were shot dead by Israeli forces inside Qalandiya refugee camp on Dec. 16 after they allegedly attempted to ram their cars into soldiers raiding the densely populated camp. (Maan)
- Three more arrested in Jewish far-right ‘hate wedding’ case - Cops pick up another group of revelers, including a minor and the wedding singer, for incitement and illegally handling guns. Five others, including groom, have been released. (Times of Israel, Haaretz+ and Maariv)
- Armed settlers attack Palestinian cab driver - Settlers block the route of a taxi driver from Barta'a on the Green Line, beat him and tell him: 'It's forbidden for you to be here.' The taxi driver submitted a complaint to the police after having to be rushed to hospital. (Ynet+VIDEO)
- Settlers breach wall of Palestinian home in Jerusalem's Old City - Noura Sub Laban's son, Ahmad, said the family was shocked to find at least six breaches through the wall, which borders a property that was taken over by settlers just two weeks ago. The far-right settlement organization Ateret Cohanim has been trying to seize the Sub Laban home. (Maan+PHOTO)
- Youth who assisted in Dawabsheh murders one of 'Samaria elite' - His mother is an educator, his father is a rabbi in a northern West Bank settlement, and they live in a large and well-kept house. How did 'a good guy from a good home' become a central activist in Jewish terror, according to the indictments against him? (Ynet)
- Father of Malachi Rosenfeld (RIP): "The murder in Duma as revenge for the death of my son? Are we barbaric animals?" - Responding to the Shin Bet statement that the Duma arson-murders were revenge for his son's murder, Eliezar Rosenfeld said: "Our revenge is only from court or from G-d. This is our way." (Maariv, p. 14)
- Netanyahu's government suffers embarrassing no-confidence vote defeat - Government loses motion 54-53, although loss is only symbolic as 61 MKs are needed to bring about new election. (Haaretz+)
- Money transfers make for a 'fictitious budget' - Large budgetary transfers between ministries approved by the Knesset Finance Committee make it so that the Knesset-approved state budget is often very different from actual expenses. (Ynet)
- IDF demolishes homes of two terrorists in Jabel Mukaber, E. Jerusalem - Israel seals off home of Alaa Abu Jamal, who murdered Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky in attack on Malkhei Yisrael Street, and destroys home of Baha Aliyan, who along with a second terrorist murdered three in East Talpiot attack. (Ynet and Maan)
- Poet and Palmach Icon Haim Gouri Turns Down 'Zionist Works of Art' Prize - 'I will not say what my opinion of the prize for Zionist art is,' poet says, explains he doesn't see connection between his book and Zionism. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli protest gets Barghouti painting removed from exhibit - Israeli embassy in Paris sends an angry letter to auction house after French artist displays Palestinian convicted murderer wrote in the inscription that "Nelson Mandela was also called a terrorist in the 1950s.” (Ynet)
- Lapid calls for building in settlement blocs but balks at endorsing E1 construction - Said "places like the Golan Heights and Ma’aleh Adumim...everyone understands will remain a part of Israel." (JPost and Maariv)
- Large rise in number of women serving on Israeli government panels - Negev and Galilee Development Ministry scores best on female representation on committees (75 percent), but Construction Ministry ranks lowest at 16 percent. (Haaretz+)
- Israeli army expects more conscripts to lie about mental problems after reform - Army likely to take all diagnoses with grain of salt, and perform more of its own evaluations to assess conscripts’ true emotional condition. (Haaretz+)
- Saudi Arabia recruits Sunni allies in row with Iran - Riyadh halts flights and commercial relations with Tehran, while Bahrain and Sudan cut ties and the UAE downgrade relations with the Islamic Republic. (Agencies, Ynet)
- WATCH: Nasrallah claims Saudi regime will fall soon, blames U.S. support for Shi'ite execution - Hezbollah leader ripped Saudi Arabia's leaders in video statement while holding the United States and its allies directly responsible through their support for the Saudi government. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
The lawyer for Jewish terrorists who started out by stealing Rabin's car emblem
'We got to his car, and we’ll get to him, too,' was how Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened the PM in 1995. Now a lawyer, he defends radicals suspected in cases of Jewish terror and hate crimes. (Haaretz+)
A Farewell to Arms: Is this the end of the phenomenon of illegal weapons in Arab society?
After years of that they warned about the phenomenon, Arabs hope that following the rise to headlines of the problem following the attack in Tel Aviv will create significant change to the widespread violence in their communities. Resident of Tira: “The amount of weapons in the (Arab) sector is enormous. There are arsenals in some of the villages. As long as it stays in our sector, (the law enforcement officials) don’t get involved. The situation is that children go to school with weapons. I am afraid to make a comment to a driver and I go to weddings fearful that I will be hurt by weapons fired for celebration.” (Tamar Dressler, Maariv Magazine supplement, pp. 4-5)
Mizrahi, gay and proud – the team behind Israel's pink panthers’ revolution
'I think Arisa is one of the most positive and optimistic changes to have occurred in Israeli culture in general.' (Shachar Atwan, Haaretz+)
In the on the secret
The popular suspense dramas, “Kfulim” and “Hamidrasha,” which give a peek into how the Shin Bet and Mossad run, have succeeded in conquering the hearts of viewers in Israel. But do they cause more Israelis to run and join these spy agencies? (Tal Laor, Maariv Magazine supplement, pp. 8-9)
Commentary/Analysis:
'We got to his car, and we’ll get to him, too,' was how Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened the PM in 1995. Now a lawyer, he defends radicals suspected in cases of Jewish terror and hate crimes. (Haaretz+)
A Farewell to Arms: Is this the end of the phenomenon of illegal weapons in Arab society?
After years of that they warned about the phenomenon, Arabs hope that following the rise to headlines of the problem following the attack in Tel Aviv will create significant change to the widespread violence in their communities. Resident of Tira: “The amount of weapons in the (Arab) sector is enormous. There are arsenals in some of the villages. As long as it stays in our sector, (the law enforcement officials) don’t get involved. The situation is that children go to school with weapons. I am afraid to make a comment to a driver and I go to weddings fearful that I will be hurt by weapons fired for celebration.” (Tamar Dressler, Maariv Magazine supplement, pp. 4-5)
Mizrahi, gay and proud – the team behind Israel's pink panthers’ revolution
'I think Arisa is one of the most positive and optimistic changes to have occurred in Israeli culture in general.' (Shachar Atwan, Haaretz+)
In the on the secret
The popular suspense dramas, “Kfulim” and “Hamidrasha,” which give a peek into how the Shin Bet and Mossad run, have succeeded in conquering the hearts of viewers in Israel. But do they cause more Israelis to run and join these spy agencies? (Tal Laor, Maariv Magazine supplement, pp. 8-9)
Commentary/Analysis:
Netanyahu Slanders Israel's Entire Arab Community (Nasreen Hadad Haj-Yahya, Haaretz+) This country's Palestinian citizens aren't a security threat, and haven't been
since the state’s establishment. Attempts to portray it as if it were are nothing but incitement for its own
sake.
**The Great Betrayal: American Jews Stay Silent as Israeli Democracy Withers (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The existential danger facing the Middle East’s only Jewish and democratic state may not be Iran, but Israel itself.
Is Hezbollah out for blood, or will incident on Israel border suffice? (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly said his organization will avenge the death of Samir Kuntar, so his followers will probably not see Monday’s casualty-free explosion on the Israel-Lebanon border as a satisfactory response.
Nasrallah settled an account, but did so with caution (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) It's too soon to tell if the Hezbollah leader got the revenge he sought out for the death of Samir Kuntar, since there were no casualties on the Israeli side in the attack on Mount Dov. It does, however, seem like the message from Israel of a severe and destructive retaliation has been understood.
Hezbollah is a weakened terrorist organization (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The incident in the north better reflects the new reality. The Syrian Civil War, in which the organization is involved up to his neck and lost a quarter of its military capacity, neutralizes its ability to take action against Israel.
Too Many Israeli Politicians Want to Import 19th-century Wild West Into 21st-century Tel Aviv (Haaretz Editorial) The knowledge that Israel is led by reckless hotheads exacerbates the feelings of depression among a frustrated public, already contending with murderous attacks and the lack of any hope for change.By
Criminal charges are only the beginning (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Decisive action must be taken, on all levels, against Jewish extremists and their supporters, before the unthinkable happens again.
We Are All Strangers in Our Own Country (Apo Sahagian, Haaretz+) Israelis, Palestinians, Armenians, Circassians, we are all looking to prove how much we belong here. But the fictions of national loyalties mean we can’t admit the similarities between us, only the differences.By
Shooter does not represent Israel's Arabs (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) While there may be incitement in the Arab sector, only few of its members have turned to hostile activity. The unequivocal condemnation issued by the Tel Aviv terrorist's family and neighbors and all Arab Knesset members is real.
Israel Is Not the Only Country in the Middle East That Censors Books (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) As in Egypt and other neighboring countries, the view that literature that damages the hegemonic ideology should disappear has actually taken root in Israel as well.
A wakeup call (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The recent decision to exclude a Dorit Rabinyan's book Borderlife from the high school curriculum is reminiscent of the growing problem of bigotry in Israeli society.
Palestine after Abbas: The future of a people at stake (Ramzy Baroud, Maan) Although intended to inspire his Fatah party followers, a televised speech by Mahmoud Abbas on the 51st Anniversary of the group's launch highlighted, instead, the unprecedented crisis that continues to wreak havoc on the Palestinian people. Not only did Abbas sound defensive and lacking in any serious or new initiatives, but his ultimate intention appeared as if it was about his political survival, and nothing else.
Footnote on the attack in Tel Aviv: This is how the media cheapened the blood of those murdered in (West Bank) attacks (Karni Eldad, Maariv) The moment the media outlets crowned the attack that happened on Friday as a turning point in the wave of terror, just because it happened on Dizengoff Street in Tel-Aviv, they cheapened the blood of the rest [i.e. those killed in the West Bank – OH] and distanced themselves even more from the people of Israel.
Choose inclusion, not exclusion (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) It is in the state's best interest to fight the attempts to alienate Israeli Arabs, and to pursue their full inclusion and integration in society.
Banning books: An insidious attempt to close the Israeli mind (William Kolbrener, Haaretz+) Demagogues like Israel's education minister are stuck forever in a closed world without imaginative possibility, a literalist ghetto in which they want to keep their electorate as well.
It's government's responsibility to fight radicalization (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Most Israeli Arabs want to live in peace and be part of the State of Israel, but they have no political power or support to fight the 'Wild West' taking place around them. The prime minister has no one else to blame for this situation but himself.
Will Israel Be a Better Place With a Prime Minister Behind Bars? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) In a region where leaders are replaced only with bloodshed, Israel is the only country that has deposed and imprisoned its former leaders by due process. Yet, Ehud Olmert's conviction should leave no room for complacency.
The Saudis couldn't care less about us (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) The Iran-Saudi Arabia spat once again debunks the notion that everything in this region can be linked to Israel and "the occupation."
**The Great Betrayal: American Jews Stay Silent as Israeli Democracy Withers (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) The existential danger facing the Middle East’s only Jewish and democratic state may not be Iran, but Israel itself.
Is Hezbollah out for blood, or will incident on Israel border suffice? (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly said his organization will avenge the death of Samir Kuntar, so his followers will probably not see Monday’s casualty-free explosion on the Israel-Lebanon border as a satisfactory response.
Nasrallah settled an account, but did so with caution (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) It's too soon to tell if the Hezbollah leader got the revenge he sought out for the death of Samir Kuntar, since there were no casualties on the Israeli side in the attack on Mount Dov. It does, however, seem like the message from Israel of a severe and destructive retaliation has been understood.
Hezbollah is a weakened terrorist organization (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The incident in the north better reflects the new reality. The Syrian Civil War, in which the organization is involved up to his neck and lost a quarter of its military capacity, neutralizes its ability to take action against Israel.
Too Many Israeli Politicians Want to Import 19th-century Wild West Into 21st-century Tel Aviv (Haaretz Editorial) The knowledge that Israel is led by reckless hotheads exacerbates the feelings of depression among a frustrated public, already contending with murderous attacks and the lack of any hope for change.By
Criminal charges are only the beginning (Yoav Limor, Israel Hayom) Decisive action must be taken, on all levels, against Jewish extremists and their supporters, before the unthinkable happens again.
We Are All Strangers in Our Own Country (Apo Sahagian, Haaretz+) Israelis, Palestinians, Armenians, Circassians, we are all looking to prove how much we belong here. But the fictions of national loyalties mean we can’t admit the similarities between us, only the differences.By
Shooter does not represent Israel's Arabs (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) While there may be incitement in the Arab sector, only few of its members have turned to hostile activity. The unequivocal condemnation issued by the Tel Aviv terrorist's family and neighbors and all Arab Knesset members is real.
Israel Is Not the Only Country in the Middle East That Censors Books (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) As in Egypt and other neighboring countries, the view that literature that damages the hegemonic ideology should disappear has actually taken root in Israel as well.
A wakeup call (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The recent decision to exclude a Dorit Rabinyan's book Borderlife from the high school curriculum is reminiscent of the growing problem of bigotry in Israeli society.
Palestine after Abbas: The future of a people at stake (Ramzy Baroud, Maan) Although intended to inspire his Fatah party followers, a televised speech by Mahmoud Abbas on the 51st Anniversary of the group's launch highlighted, instead, the unprecedented crisis that continues to wreak havoc on the Palestinian people. Not only did Abbas sound defensive and lacking in any serious or new initiatives, but his ultimate intention appeared as if it was about his political survival, and nothing else.
Footnote on the attack in Tel Aviv: This is how the media cheapened the blood of those murdered in (West Bank) attacks (Karni Eldad, Maariv) The moment the media outlets crowned the attack that happened on Friday as a turning point in the wave of terror, just because it happened on Dizengoff Street in Tel-Aviv, they cheapened the blood of the rest [i.e. those killed in the West Bank – OH] and distanced themselves even more from the people of Israel.
Choose inclusion, not exclusion (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) It is in the state's best interest to fight the attempts to alienate Israeli Arabs, and to pursue their full inclusion and integration in society.
Banning books: An insidious attempt to close the Israeli mind (William Kolbrener, Haaretz+) Demagogues like Israel's education minister are stuck forever in a closed world without imaginative possibility, a literalist ghetto in which they want to keep their electorate as well.
It's government's responsibility to fight radicalization (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Most Israeli Arabs want to live in peace and be part of the State of Israel, but they have no political power or support to fight the 'Wild West' taking place around them. The prime minister has no one else to blame for this situation but himself.
Will Israel Be a Better Place With a Prime Minister Behind Bars? (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) In a region where leaders are replaced only with bloodshed, Israel is the only country that has deposed and imprisoned its former leaders by due process. Yet, Ehud Olmert's conviction should leave no room for complacency.
The Saudis couldn't care less about us (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) The Iran-Saudi Arabia spat once again debunks the notion that everything in this region can be linked to Israel and "the occupation."
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.