APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday January 17, 2016
 

Quote of the day:

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Front Page:

Haaretz

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News Summary:
The EU and the US lift economic sanctions on Iran, while the EU hardens its stance on the labeling of settlement products, and Israeli Foreign Ministry employees boycott Education Minister Naftali Bennett after he said there was a ‘problem with their DNA,’ making top news in today’s Hebrew newspapers. The papers also played up an alleged corruption affair by the Swedish Foreign Minister, whom Jerusalem is furious at for calling for a probe into possible Israeli extra-judicial killings of Palestinians. Also in the news, a long-time Palestinian negotiation unit employee was arrested for spying for Israel. And Maariv reported that outgoing Mossad chief said Israel faces no existential threats.

The Hebrew papers reported on the celebrations in Teheran after the announcement of the lifting of sanctions by the US, UN and EU, but little was written about Israel’s official response – because Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prohibited his ministers from speaking about it to the press. Netanyahu said Iran “has not abandoned its aspirations to acquire nuclear weapons” and that Israel will monitor Iran.” The announcement came after Iran removed the core of its Arak heavy water reactor and filled part of it with cement, a crucial step for the end of sanctions. The papers also reported on the prisoner exchange that took place just before the announcement, but which did not include the Jewish-American former FBI investigator, who went missing in Iran. 
 
Israel is working frantically to stop the passing of a European Union Ministerial Council resolution tomorrow that would put new sanctions on settlement products, Yedioth and Haaretz+ reported. The proposal calls for all 28 European Union countries to restrict their international agreements with Israel to within the 1967 borders, thus excluding the settlements. 
 
And the people who work in Israel’s Foreign Ministry, many of whom have been working against EU labeling, are now boycotting Education Minister Naftali Bennett for saying that there was “a problem with the DNA of the Foreign Ministry.” Bennett labeled all the employees as problematic, when he was attacking former Foreign Ministry director Alon Liel, who acted as a consultant to ‘Breaking the Silence.’ Netanyahu rejected Bennett’s statements and Bennett backtracked.
 
In an interesting summary of his term, outgoing Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said, "There is no existential threat to Israel.” Maariv's Yossi Melman reported in Friday’s paper that Pardo spoke in an interview to his ‘homefield,’ in the recent edition of ‘Mabat Malam,’ the Journal of Intelligence and Security published by the Center for Intelligence Heritage. Melman noted that Pardo's assessment is similar to that of his predecessor, Meir Dagan, who also said that Iran was not an existential threat. Regarding the lifting of sanctions, Melman wrote, “There is no doubt that there is a place for concern regarding Iran, but there is no need for panic. Even if in another five years the Iranian Army and the Revolutionary Guards have new and advanced weapons, it will not be an immediate threat or an existential threat (see Pardo’s remarks) to Israel. The distance between the two countries is more than 1,000 km and the road has to go through two other countries (Iraq and Syria). Iranians tanks and warplanes won’t move so quickly to the Israeli border. The likelihood of such heavy weaponry being transferred to Hezbollah is not great. Not to mention that Israel is the strongest power in the region, and its military capabilities are infinitely greater than Iran’s - and will continue to be more so in the future.

Pardo revealed an interesting talk he had at the beginning of his job. “At the beginning of my path as Mossad chief, I met with a senior official in the Arab periphery (based on foreign publications on the subject, it can be assumed that Pardo was referring to Saudi Arabia or to one of the Gulf states – Y.M.), who asked me if we had chosen to live in the Middle East, because in his opinion, we had decided not to,” Tamir told the magazine. “When I asked him why he thought so, he asked: 'How many Jews born in Israel know Arabic? How many of them are familiar with Arab culture? How many of them even want to get to know it? How do you want to understand me when you live in the Middle East and don’t know the language that hundreds of millions of people around (you) are talking? How many of your people have opened a Quran? Not to pray, but to try to understand what is written there - to understand the culture, to understand that we are not all the same, and that there is a difference between the Egyptian and the Jordanian, the Palestinian, the Saudi or the Lebanese. You are not familiar with anything. You do not know anything. It’s easier for you to move to live in Canada. There you will feel more at home culturally than you feel here, so what the hell are you doing here? You have not yet chosen to be part of the Middle East."

Melman added that recently, the head of the Shin Bet also gave ‘Mabat Malam’ an interview, in which he said that from the point of view of the Shin Bet, ‘Price-Tag’ attacks are terror. The attack by far right-wing activists target mainly Palestinians and their property.
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

Two Palestinians, from different walks of life, brought together in death at a checkpoint
One man was the well-to-do owner of a company, the other a poor student. Israeli soldiers killed both of them at a West Bank checkpoint. Why did they die? Was there a connection between them? What is not in doubt is that these two people were killed together, by volleys of live fire unleashed by Israel Defense Forces soldiers a recent morning at the Beka’ot checkpoint. Rich and poor were unequal in death, too: The soldiers fired a total of 11 rounds into the affluent man but made do with three for the needier one. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)

"A fashion that has passed"- West Bank refugee camps refuse to join the wave of terrorism
"Does the Palestinian Authority care about us? What's in it for us if we send a kid to stab? You become a martyr for nothing. We are tired." The fault line in Palestinian society is reflected in the opposition in large refugee camps to the ‘Knives Intifada.’ A visit to Nablus and Jenin shows that the residents of the camps see the Palestinian Authority and Israel as an enemy. In Jenin and Balata, they’re waiting for a one-state solution… or for ISIS. Why the West Bank refugee camps refuse to join the Third Intifada. (Avi Issacharoff, Walla News+VIDEO and Times of Israel)
The show must go on
Young filmmaker Joshua Faudem was bartending at Mike’s Place when a chance meeting with director Jack Baxter turned into a film about the bar. But then, two terrorists blew themselves up at the entrance, drastically changing their lives, and the film. (Neta Halperin, Israel Hayom)
The Train Robbery That Put the Irgun on the Map
Shalom Masuri, 90, recalls the attack after seven decades. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+)
A trip to the 'Islamic State'
Writer and journalist Tzur Shezaf traveled through no man's land, where Syria and Iraq melded into one in the wake of the ruthless campaign of the Islamic State; he met with ISIS captives who told him that as a Jew he must be beheaded, and spoke with their Yazidi victims and the Kurdish men and women who bravely fight against them. (Tzur Shezaf, Yedioth/Ynet)
'You're going to Israel and Paris? What's wrong with you?'
Departures / Arrivals: One globetrotter comes to Israel to learn about the past, while another is brought here by her husband's basketball career. (Liat Elkayam, Haaretz+)
From Casablanca to the IDF
Y., whose full name is being withheld to protect his family still living in Morocco, dreamt of following in the footsteps of his late father, who also served as a lone soldier in an IDF combat unit. Y: "I dream of continuing to live in Israel." (Danny Brenner, Israel Hayom)
Learning to Do Things the Israel Air Force Way
IAF pilots are some of the best in the world – and it’s the air force’s unique training program that got them there. Now a former helicopter pilot is bringing the same system to the civilian world, but will it fly? (Ronny Linder-Ganz, Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:

Where Are the Indictments Against Those Who Use Poop to Oppress? (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) If an Israeli artist can be indicted for defecating on a flag, is it possible to indict settlers for doing something similar to a whole people? 
The farce that was Likud primaries demonstrates how Israeli democracy can no longer oppose (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Institutions were emptied of their power, gatekeepers fell, the watchdog was castrated. The balances were violated, the brakes were burned. What is left is to curl up in a corner and hope that our turn will come as long as possible from now.
A McCarthyist in Israel's Education Ministry (Haaretz Editorial) Naftali Bennett has made a practice of attacking anyone who does not agree with his right-wing, extremist policies; he is unsuitable for the office he holds. 
Lifting of sanctions is a blessing for the Iranian economy but is fraught with risks for the regime (Yossi Melman, Maariv) Iran's economy is based on exports of oil, whose price is low, and now with the removal of sanctions is expected to further decline. Revenues may be too small to affect the pocket of the ordinary citizen in the country. 
Yes, Israel Is Executing Palestinians Without Trial (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) In 2016, one doesn’t have to be Adolf Eichmann to be executed in Israel – it’s enough to be a teenage Palestinian girl with scissors. 
International credit: Israel must present to the world a vision for the Middle East (Udi Segal, Maariv) The conflict with Sweden reflects our relationship with the world: As we feel that the Europeans are prejudiced against us, Israel is perceived abroad as a hopeless case. If we don’t explain what we want and are ready to happen, the trend will only expand.
Obama’s Triumph: Iran Nuclear Deal Comes Gift-wrapped by Prisoner Release (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) Some Israeli officials also detect positive signals, but are deterred by Jerusalem’s doomsday dogma.
Gazan Time Bomb Is Ticking Ever Louder (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Jihadist groups have tried to plant explosives on the Israeli border three times in recent months, but Hamas remains the real danger, and the unknown factor, in the Gaza Strip.
Bernie Sanders surging in polls, but are Jews behind him? (Ron Kampeas, JTA, Haaretz) Sanders is not as much of a game changer for Jews as Obama was for blacks, political strategist says. 
A Flawed Democracy - But Still One to Be Proud Of (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) Israel should heed the lessons of what was optimistically called the Arab Spring five years ago. 
'Z' depicts lethal links between governments and right-wing thugs. Sound familiar? (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz+) 'Fascism, disguised under the mantle of reactionary patriotism, had been a snake coiled around the heart of Greek democracy for quite some time.'
Winds of change in the Arab sector (Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, Israel Hayom) Recent polls suggest the overwhelming majority of Israeli Arabs prefer peaceful coexistence over any form of violence. Steps must be taken to make the most out of this momentum. 
Why Israel will and must help its Arab citizens catch up (Gadi Taub, Haaretz+) It's not good intentions that produced the proposal to channel funds into the Arab sector, but rather self-interest. 
Welcome to the Israeli Arab Ghetto (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) Why do these shootings keep happening in your communities, I'm asked sometimes. That's what happens, I respond, when the state ignores your existence, and violence mediated by criminals is used to resolve disputes. 
The great democratizer (sic – democratator) (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Netanyahu can sit more comfortably than ever now. His opponents from within and without are nowhere to be seen, his position seems secure, and his agenda is uninterrupted. So why does he still seem so uneasy? 
David Landau, a Journalist Who Knew What Made Israel Tick (Jonathan Freedland, Haaretz+) On the first anniversary of former Haaretz editor-in-chief David Landau's death, The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland recalls what made him such an unusual and valued colleague. 
Even the courts are abetting persecution (Friday Haaretz Editorial) The treatment of a recently arrested left-wing activist is just another phase in the government's attempts to crush all resistance. 
A decade of working and sparring with David Landau (Shira Philosof, Haaretz+) Like a case of phantom pain, I wanted to consult him, but he was no longer there.
There's nothing progressive about Jews and Arabs kissing (Janan Bsoul, Haaretz+) The fuss generated by a video featuring Jews and Arabs kissing is actually evidence of the disconnect between the two communities. 
A wakeup call for the left (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Over the past few years, some left-wing activists have been going down a dangerous path. They're not against the occupation, they're against Israel. They don't deal with criticism, but in demonization. They're not against the settlements, but against a Jewish and democratic state. It's time for self-criticism.
Israeli response to EU labeling of settlement products has backfired (Barak Ravid, Haaretz+) Israel’s decision to freeze contacts with EU on Palestinian issue and petty acts of vengeance against few European states only increased European anger; main victims of Israel's policies are settlers. 
The roots of anti-Israeli attitudes (Prof. Efraim Inbar, Israel Hayom) While facing an uphill struggle, Israel's public diplomacy should not desist from its efforts to portray Israel as a moral beacon in the Dark Age that has befallen the Middle East.
Iran Goes From Pariah State to Player in Global Corridors of Power (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The nuclear deal's implementation day marks the dawn of a new strategy in the Middle East. 
With Sanctions About to Be Lifted, Iran Dreams of a Glorious New Era (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Tehran hopefully awaits report confirming it has met nuclear deal's demands, but plummeting oil prices will hinder its transformation from a besieged Islamic republic into a flourishing state.
2016 will be the year ISIS' fate will be determined (Yaron Friedman, Yedioth/Ynet) The 'intifada of knives' is going nowhere, Hamas is under siege, Hezbollah is deep in the Syrian war, Assad's army is tiring in fight against rebels, Saudi and Iran are cutting ties, and ISIS is still far from Israel's border. The internal conflicts in the Arab world neutralize the threat to Israel, but it's still considered 'the enemy of Arabs.' 
Get serious! Most French Jews have already dropped their kippa (Shirli Sitbon, Haaretz) For many French Jews hiding their kippa is the only sane choice open to them: wearing such a Jewish identifier in public isn't an act of bravery, but rather an 'invitation' to violence. 
Short circuit: Abandoning sanity for tribal war (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) Things are good for Israel, except for what's happening at home. We have lost the ability to be practical. Every word said in public becomes part of the struggle between left and right. 
Give Sweden the Nobel prize for hypocrisy (Haim Shine, Israel Hayom) The time of Jews being the punching bag and scapegoat for every dictator and villain has passed. 
Why Israel's government of inciters can't win (Avraham Burg, Haaretz+) The battle now is a battle for democracy, and therefore we will defeat you. That’s how it is everywhere in the world and that’s how it is here.
Netanyahu's pathetic primaries chicanery (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The call for early primaries in the Likud party and the decision to cancel them 4 days later lead us to an absurd situation. A sitting prime minister, whose power and influence are hard to even estimate, is afraid not just of future competitors, but even to compete against himself.
No one to talk: In the interests of Israel, we must not give up on the Jewish community in the US (Shlomo Shamir, Maariv) The problem is not the closing of consulates in the United States, but the inability of Israel’s officials to handle the crisis in relations with Jewish communities.
American Jews' concern for Israeli democracy ends at '67 borders (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Anti-NGO law sparks protest because it infringes on a democracy that exists. In the West Bank, there is no democracy.
In the absence of a foreign minister (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) Boycotting IKEA is not the answer to Sweden's comments against Israel. The European Union is not our enemy. By realizing this, Yair Lapid got Mogherini to declare she opposes the BDS movement. Why can't the government realize it too?
Hillary Clinton’s Enemies Brand Her an Israel-hater Based on Email Dumps (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz+) Do a bunch of outlandish ideas on the Mideast conflict submitted to the then Secretary of State by her aides really represent the presidential candidate’s views on Israel?

'Israel isn’t a brand some American Jews want to identify with'
Liran Avisar Ben Horin is head of Masa, an organization that encourages Diaspora Jews to participate in long-term programs in Israel. It’s getting more difficult every year, she warns. (Interviewed by Rotem Starkman, Haaretz+)
 
The murderer’s lawyer: "People point at me in the street and call to arrest me"
Attorney Nechami Feinblatt was born to jurists, served in the Israeli Navy commando and in the Oketz Unit. He also served as a police prosecutor and a military defense attorney, but nothing prepared him for the week-long manhunt for the murderer, Nashat Melhem, whose father he represented. (Interviewed by Tal Ariel Amir in Maariv’s Friday Magazine)

 

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.