APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday January 21, 2016
Quote of the day:
"And in general, we always need to keep the threat in the air and be on guard that the eternal
candle of national anxiety isn't blown out."
--Maariv columnist Ran Adelist writes that the Netanyahu government is looking for reasons to keep the Israeli people scared.**
--Maariv columnist Ran Adelist writes that the Netanyahu government is looking for reasons to keep the Israeli people scared.**
You Must Be Kidding:
"But recently we learned that Shufersal supplies a delivery service almost everywhere in Israel, on condition that it is not an Arab community."
--Two Arab Israelis file a class-action suit against the country's biggest supermarket chain, saying it discriminates against Israeli Arabs by not allowing them to buy from its online store.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Attorney General Weinstein decided to close the case against (former chief of staff) Ashkenazi in the Harpaz affair
- Criminal exemption – unethical // Amos Harel
- Everything depends on Ashkenazi’s aspirations // Yossi Verter
- End to the pointless chase // Amir Oren
- State rejects Palestinians who request protection because they sold land to Jews
- Holocaust survivor from Haifa stands to get the title of oldest man in the world
- Palestinian Authority advancing resolution in UN Security Council declaring settlements illegal
- Deri will limit detention at Holot facility (for asylum seekers/migrants) to one year
- Suit against Shufersal supermarket chain: No deliveries to Arab communities
- (Herzog) acting like Netanyahu // Haaretz Editorial
- Ruth Shitreet earned millions from collapsing Mega supermarket chain
- From New York to cyber: Rudolph Giuliani in interview
- What is the connection between a Lebanese artist and the graduates of IDF’s Intel agencies?
Yedioth Ahronoth
- Case closed – Harpaz affair, which shook the security establishment, came to an end yesterday
- By the skin of his teeth // Nahum Barnea
- Where’s the putsch? // Yossi Yehoshua
- The long arm – Nasrallah in the (Palestinian) territories
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Case (against Ashkenazi) closed
- End to the manhunt // Ben Caspit
- Continues the path of his father: Poet son of Nasrallah formed terror cell in Tulkarem
- Second interrogation of Bar Refaeli: “There is substantial evidence in the taxes affair”
- Clinton’s concern: How did Senator Bernie Sanders become the surprise of the Democratic party
Israel Hayom
- “Not criminal, but unbecoming conduct for a chief of staff” – Ashkenazi affair: Attorney General ruled to close the case against the former chief of staff, but strongly criticized his ethics
- He did not put him on trial, but accepted and bolstered the state comptroller’s conclusions // Dan Margalit
- Should have been dealt with in the framework of the military judicial law // Prof. Aviad Hacohen
- And Ashkenazi, as chief of staff, dismissed the Brig. Generals Tamir and Fares // Brig. Gen. (res.) Tzvika Fogel
- Son of Nasrallah formed terror cell in Judea and Samaria, five Palestinians detained
News Summary:
The Attorney General closed the case against former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, clearing the way for him to enter politics and the Shin Bet announced that a month ago it arrested five Palestinians it suspected of planning attacks at the behest of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s ‘poet’ son, who contacted them on Facebook making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Also in the news, the Palestinians are both continuing to work with Israel on security, but demanding diplomatic changes: The Palestinian Intelligence chief said his forces foiled 200 attacks against Israelis and Palestinian officials said the Palestinian Authority is trying to advance a resolution in the UN Security Council that will declare Israeli settlements illegal under international law, Haaretz+ reported.
And the latest moving news from the tragic murder of the mother of six at Otniel settlement: Natan, the widower of Dafna Meir, insisted on meeting with his dear old friend, Mohammed, who is related to the teen who murdered his wife, Maariv reported. Here is what the reporter, Eyal Levy, wrote: "Mohammed is three days older than I am and we are close friends in heart and soul," said Natan Meir. "We got married in the same month, we have four children in the same ages, divided into girls and boys. It's much beyond the complexity of the situation. I made sure someone would speak with him and I'll call him later myself. I won't give up on him. He feels ashamed, he feels very uncomfortable, you certainly understand why," said Meir. Later in the afternoon, Mohammed arrived after the General of the Central Command and the chairman of the settlement got involved to give him permits and a high-ranking officer brought him in from a side entrance. Those visiting the home were asked not to photograph the event out of fear that someone might try to harm Mohammed. Mohammed and Natan hugged a courageous hug, filled with pain of close friends. Mohammed sat down next to MK Nissan Slomiansky and listened to his words....Natan Meir said that... whoever believes that peace is made with enemies is "dumb. Peace is made when there is love and I have no problem to love them. My children, despite that they murdered their mother, you'll never hear from them a word of hatred, anger, resentment. We don't care a bit about the horrible murderer. He is a passing episode." Mohammed stayed a few minutes and afterward hugged his friend and left through the side door. Those were moving, shaking moments that show that despite the immense pain, it is possible to find a ray of light.
The Attorney General closed the case against former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, clearing the way for him to enter politics and the Shin Bet announced that a month ago it arrested five Palestinians it suspected of planning attacks at the behest of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s ‘poet’ son, who contacted them on Facebook making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers.
Also in the news, the Palestinians are both continuing to work with Israel on security, but demanding diplomatic changes: The Palestinian Intelligence chief said his forces foiled 200 attacks against Israelis and Palestinian officials said the Palestinian Authority is trying to advance a resolution in the UN Security Council that will declare Israeli settlements illegal under international law, Haaretz+ reported.
And the latest moving news from the tragic murder of the mother of six at Otniel settlement: Natan, the widower of Dafna Meir, insisted on meeting with his dear old friend, Mohammed, who is related to the teen who murdered his wife, Maariv reported. Here is what the reporter, Eyal Levy, wrote: "Mohammed is three days older than I am and we are close friends in heart and soul," said Natan Meir. "We got married in the same month, we have four children in the same ages, divided into girls and boys. It's much beyond the complexity of the situation. I made sure someone would speak with him and I'll call him later myself. I won't give up on him. He feels ashamed, he feels very uncomfortable, you certainly understand why," said Meir. Later in the afternoon, Mohammed arrived after the General of the Central Command and the chairman of the settlement got involved to give him permits and a high-ranking officer brought him in from a side entrance. Those visiting the home were asked not to photograph the event out of fear that someone might try to harm Mohammed. Mohammed and Natan hugged a courageous hug, filled with pain of close friends. Mohammed sat down next to MK Nissan Slomiansky and listened to his words....Natan Meir said that... whoever believes that peace is made with enemies is "dumb. Peace is made when there is love and I have no problem to love them. My children, despite that they murdered their mother, you'll never hear from them a word of hatred, anger, resentment. We don't care a bit about the horrible murderer. He is a passing episode." Mohammed stayed a few minutes and afterward hugged his friend and left through the side door. Those were moving, shaking moments that show that despite the immense pain, it is possible to find a ray of light.
Quick Hits:
- Israel to confiscate vast tract of land in Jericho - Israel is set to declare 1,500 dunams (370 acres) of land in the occupied West Bank district of Jericho as "state land.” Peace Now called continued land confiscation by Netanyahu's government a "diplomatic catastrophe." (Ynet and Maan)
- 2 Jewish teens arrested on suspicion of vandalizing Jerusalem's Dormition Abbey - Anti-Christian slogans such as 'Christians to Hell' and 'Death to the heathen Christians the enemies of Israel' were scrawled on the church walls. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Palestinian shot, injured near Gaza borderline - A 42-year-old Palestinian man was shot moderately in the foot near the Karni crossing southeast of Gaza City. (Maan)
- IDF soldier lightly wounded near Tulkarem - Israeli troops come under fire during a routine operation south of Tulkarem. Search for shooter ongoing. Samaria Brigade troops deployed south of Nablus prevent a terrorist attack after apprehending two Palestinian suspects carrying weapons. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian detained on suspicion of planned attack at Beit Einun - Jafar Mahmoud Hammad Jabarin, 19, from the Hebron-district village of Sair, was detained after Israeli soldiers said they found a knife hidden in one of his shoes. (Maan)
- Israeli drill simulates combat on Syria, Lebanon borders - Two-week IDF exercise combines air, ground, naval forces and was aimed at simulating simultaneous combat on borders with Syria and Lebanon. Exercise showed IDF is able to "implement operational plans in all arenas," GOC Northern Command says. (Israel Hayom)
- Palestinian PM condemns ongoing displacement of Bedouin communities - Prime Minister Dr. Rami Hamdallah’s condemnation comes after Israeli forces destroyed five Bedouin dwellings in the Abu Nuwwar community east of Jerusalem on Jan. 6, leaving 25 people homeless. (Maan)
- Group to send independent physician to Palestinian hunger striker - Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) on Wednesday received approval to send an independent physician to evaluate Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Qiq, who has continued a hunger strike for over 50 days. (Maan)
- Israeli forces deliver punitive demolition notice to prisoner's family - Israeli forces gave a written notice to the family of Abd al-Aziz Hamad Marie which said they had until Jan. 24 to evacuate their home in the Qarawat Bani Hassan town of Salfit. Hamad was detained for allegedly planning the Oct. 3 stabbing attack, the first in the wave of unrest. (Maan)
- Israeli authorities demolish Palestinian home in Silwan - The building's owner, Samir Nassar, said Jerusalem municipality bulldozers stormed the area at 4 a.m. under the escort of Israeli police and tore down the home "without prior notice." It was built without a construction permit, which are difficult for Palestinians to obtain. (Maan)
- Police to hold left-wing activist, Palestinian despite court order - After activists ordered released from detention to house arrest, police announces they will be held overnight on grounds that decision is being appealed. (Haaretz+)
- Airbnb under scrutiny for West Bank settlement listings - International alternative to expensive hotels runs into controversy with rooms offered in Israeli settlements. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Class-action filed against Israeli supermarket chain for refusing deliveries to Arab towns - Residents in northern Israel sue Shufersal for 450-million shekels for not making online deliveries. Plaintiffs say they discovered phenomenon is nationwide. (Haaretz+)
- Anti-Israel protests disrupt London event with former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon - Protesters smashed windows, set off fire alarms and assaulted an organizer at King’s College lecture with former head of Israel’s internal security service, now a left-wing politician and peace activist. (Haaretz+)
- Report: Israel proposed autonomy to PLO in east Jerusalem - Kuwaiti paper reports that the Israeli initiative came as part of the Netanyahu government's efforts to minimize Palestinian attacks in the Jerusalem area and to decrease tensions in the holy city. (Maariv/JPost)
- Education Minister Bennett: "If I were present in an attempted murder, I’d shoot the terrorist" - Minister of Education responded to query of MK Basel Ghattas about why the minister carries a weapon when he has guards. "When there is a wave of terror, we have an obligation to defend ourselves, this is a moral obligation of the first order," replied Bennett. (Maariv)
- 'Softened' version of controversial NGO bill forgoes ID tags in Knesset - Prime minister's demand to apply law to all groups receiving foreign funds 'from the first dollar' wasn't included in new version. (Haaretz+)
- Israel erred in tapping former settler leader as envoy, says adviser to Brazilian president - The fact that Brazil refuses to confirm Dani Dayan's ambassadorial appointment has caused a crisis in the two countries' relationships. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Turkey considers senior diplomat as next ambassador to Israel - Ankara reportedly taps Can Dizdar, the Turkish Foreign Ministry's director general for the Middle East. Meanwhile, Sudanese official denies a report that his country is open to diplomatic ties with Israel, saying Sudan's position "will remain unchanged." (Israel Hayom)
- Israel starts massive fence on southern border with Jordan - $77 million barrier will run from the southern resort town of Eilat to new airport under construction in Timna Valley. (Times of Israel and Maariv)
- Netanyahu to promote Israeli economy at Davos forum - At World Economic Forum in Davos, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will focus on Israel's leadership in technology and cyber. Netanyahu to meet with numerous world political and economic leaders, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. (Israel Hayom)
- Israeli students to train as 'online ambassadors' - Education Ministry launching course to train students to advocate for Israel on online social networks. "Our 'young ambassadors' can be the future reservists of Israeli public diplomacy," Education Minister Naftali Bennett says. (Israel Hayom)
- Bennett to Netanyahu and Ya'alon: Government debate shouldn't be personal - 'It's important that we hold an in-depth debate on the issue itself,' education minister says after being derided as 'reckless' and 'childish.' (Haaretz+)
- Torah donated by Canadian to Jerusalem Ethiopian community in memory of Israeli girl murdered at pride parade - A 150-year-old Torah scroll is donated to a synagogue serving the city’s Ethiopian community in a ceremony at the Jerusalem municipality building. (Ynet)
- Young Gazan Couples Turn to U.S.-style Marriage Counseling - The initiative, backed by three Palestinian ministries, is designed to prepare them for married life, and includes religious, legal, medical and psychological counseling. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Santa Claus is coming to town - Representatives from the Finnish town of Rovaniemi, which is next to Santa Claus' home town, will be arriving in Israel in three weeks' time in order to take part in an annual tourism exhibition. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israeli Auschwitz survivor could be oldest man in the world - 112-year-old Yisrael Kristal of Haifa was informed that he could hold the title, if he can prove his age. (Haaretz+)
- WATCH: Trump promises to move U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem - “They want it in Jerusalem,” the front-runner among Republican presidential candidates said in an interview posted by 'The Brody File', a Christian Broadcasting Network show. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Goodbye Iran, hello Israel? Sudan changes its approach - While Jerusalem and Khartoum are a long way from normalized relations, the last few months have seen Sudan edge closer to the moderate Sunni camp while speaking openly about improved ties with Israel. (Ynet and Maariv)
- Report: Switzerland made secret deal with PLO to avoid terror attacks on Swiss soil - According to the Swiss newspaper NZZ, full details of the agreement are protected by a 50-year statute of limitations. (JPost/Maariv)
- WATCH: Saudi FM says 'most countries not OK' with Iran nuclear deal - Lifting of sanctions on Iran as a result of its nuclear deal with world powers will be a harmful development if it uses the extra money to fund 'nefarious activities', said Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Turkish Teacher Sent to Jail for Insulting President Erdogan - The female teacher, who pleaded not guilty, will serve almost a year in jail for making a rude gesture at Erdogan at a political rally in 2014. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Over 3,000 People Killed by Russian Airstrikes in Syria, Monitor Says - 1,000 civilians and 893 ISIS fighters among those killed in strikes since September 30, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- 'Hezbollah is getting the most sophisticated Russian weapons' - Advanced weapons are going from Russia to Syria and then into Hezbollah's hands, according to an IDF reserve officer, Yaakov Amidror. These deliveries likely include Onyx missiles, which are capable of hitting Israel's gas rigs and paralyzing the Haifa and Ashdod ports. (Ynet)
- Turkey Detains 1,300 Migrants Preparing to Leave for Greece - Authorities also arrest 17 suspected human traffickers during the raids, which took place in Ayvacik, a main crossing point to the Greek island of Lesbos. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- U.S., Russia Plan Syria Peace Talks While Question Remains of Opposition Representation - Talks set to begin on January 25 still lack agreed-upon representatives for Syrian opposition. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- ISIS Razes Oldest Christian Monastery in Iraq - For 1,400 years, St. Elijah's Monastery of Mosul survived assaults by nature and man, recently standing as a place of worship for U.S. troops. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Putin to Europe's Jews: 'Come to Russia to escape anti-Semitism' - The Russian president met with members of the European Jewish Congress and heard about the rise in anti-Semitism across the continent. (Agencies, Ynet)
Commentary/Analysis:
'Dr.' Naftali Bennett wants to eradicate the toxic, highly contagious condition known as 'opposing the
occupation' (Roy Isacowitz, Haaretz+) The education minister attacked the country's diplomats last week by suggesting
they had 'problematic DNA.' Israel's rightist discourse has now moved beyond merely labeling leftists as fifth
columnists.
Beware brothers and sisters: There are traitors in our midst (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The Netanyahu administration's policy in the Palestinian territories is highly problematic. Luckily, there are convenient distractions available in the form of easily-targeted human rights organizations.
Don’t Bring Down Israel's Right-wing Government (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) Just let it crash as it collides with reality and lashes out at everyone along the way.
Israel's Opposition Leader Has Embraced Netanyahu's Logic (Haaretz Editorial) Isaac Herzog's feeble promise to 'employ an effective iron fist' against Hamas reveals that there are no longer any differences between the large parties in Israel, putting down any hope for change.
**Panic attack: the threat of the Axis of Evil will never go away (Ran Adelist, Maariv) What is happening in the real world is that Barack Obama eliminated the nuclear threat through a diplomatic arrangement, without a single shot being fired. We never attacked Iran, and Iran didn't attack us. Great, isn't it? Removal of sanctions is something really insignificant compared to the elimination of the nuclear threat, which is a vital interest and common to all countries of the world, especially to us. But of course it is impossible to give up the Iranian threat just like that. And in general, we always need to keep the threat in the air and be on guard that the eternal candle of national anxiety isn't blown out. Blessed is the nation that is always afraid and blessed is the state that has someone who protects it. Netanyahu and Co.'s new trick is the arms deal between Russia and Hezbullah plotted alongside the fabricated "coordination meeting" between Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu. The day before the final signing of the agreement, anonymous sources told about a "huge deal" expected between Hezbollah and Russia, which includes advanced missiles against sea, land and air targets. The permanent idea of intimidation: the nuclear bomb is out, conventional weapons are in. And the threat of the Axis of Evil will remain forever. Some say Iran's economic recovery will lead to the strengthening of the Axis, and they are right. Syria, Hezbollah and Iran really do not like us. The operational and political truth is that they have no reason to attack us, except for being dragged into friction with the Palestinians, and this really is major fire hazard. And it is a result more of the policy of the Israeli government policy than the policy of the Axis of Evil, which is busy surviving.
The Legacy of an Orthodox Feminist Who Was Murdered Before Her Time (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) Knowledgeable and generous in describing the Orthodox approach, Dafna Meir presented her egalitarian and feminist position without being coercive or judgmental.
Israel's Weak Center Is Letting Radicals Destroy Zionism (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) Outflanked by the chauvinist right and the radical left, Israeli centrists have not proposed the third way that Tony Blair offered the British and Bill Clinton offered the Americans.
The opposite of the truth (MK Yoav Kisch, Israel Hayom) U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro was right that the law is applied unequally in Judea and Samaria sometimes. But in such cases, it is Palestinians who benefit, not Israelis.
Could Exonerated Former IDF Chief of Staff Be Israel's Next Prime Minister? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) A stained reputation is not going to obstruct the former army chief's way to the highest position of all.
Test of humanity: Despite everything, we must remember that the enemy created in the image of G-d (Avraham Tirosh, Maariv) From the weekly Torah portion, we learn that an enemy from another nation is also a human being, God's creation, and thus he should be treated. But how many of us take this approach today?
When the Unreasonable Becomes Reasonable (Samah Salaime Egbariya, Haaretz+) From rampant racism to denying the occupation, as an Arab citizen I want to warn you that reason has stopped making sense in Israel.
An open invitation to the EU (Yossi Dagan, Israel Hayom) We must show our daily reality in Judea and Samaria.
Dan Shapiro's Double Standard (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) Israel's double legal standard in West Bank is the result of American pressure, and it would be wise to annex Area C and apply an egalitarian legal system there.
From Cairo to Cologne: Is Public Sexual Harassment Really Endemic to Arab Culture? (Khaled Diab, Haaretz+) The New Year’s Eve mob attacks on women unleashed a tidal wave of hate speech against migrants in Europe. The political profiteering obscured the fact that sexual assault isn’t just – or primarily – an Arab or Muslim problem.
Arm-twisting in Lebanese Elite Plays Into Hands of Hezbollah and Iran (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Changing alliances in the drawn-out race for presidency destabilizes an already unstable system.
Zero-sum game: there is no candidate for President of the United States who is good for Israel (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) Soon, US citizens will begin to choose their next president. Even Trump is not good for us, because if his relationship with Netanyahu goes bad, things will be worse than during the Obama period.
Is Ted Cruz an anti-Semite? No, but… (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Four Democrats helped Marco Rubio write his immigration bill. So why do Cruz and his supporters only single out Chuck Schumer?
Beware brothers and sisters: There are traitors in our midst (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The Netanyahu administration's policy in the Palestinian territories is highly problematic. Luckily, there are convenient distractions available in the form of easily-targeted human rights organizations.
Don’t Bring Down Israel's Right-wing Government (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) Just let it crash as it collides with reality and lashes out at everyone along the way.
Israel's Opposition Leader Has Embraced Netanyahu's Logic (Haaretz Editorial) Isaac Herzog's feeble promise to 'employ an effective iron fist' against Hamas reveals that there are no longer any differences between the large parties in Israel, putting down any hope for change.
**Panic attack: the threat of the Axis of Evil will never go away (Ran Adelist, Maariv) What is happening in the real world is that Barack Obama eliminated the nuclear threat through a diplomatic arrangement, without a single shot being fired. We never attacked Iran, and Iran didn't attack us. Great, isn't it? Removal of sanctions is something really insignificant compared to the elimination of the nuclear threat, which is a vital interest and common to all countries of the world, especially to us. But of course it is impossible to give up the Iranian threat just like that. And in general, we always need to keep the threat in the air and be on guard that the eternal candle of national anxiety isn't blown out. Blessed is the nation that is always afraid and blessed is the state that has someone who protects it. Netanyahu and Co.'s new trick is the arms deal between Russia and Hezbullah plotted alongside the fabricated "coordination meeting" between Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu. The day before the final signing of the agreement, anonymous sources told about a "huge deal" expected between Hezbollah and Russia, which includes advanced missiles against sea, land and air targets. The permanent idea of intimidation: the nuclear bomb is out, conventional weapons are in. And the threat of the Axis of Evil will remain forever. Some say Iran's economic recovery will lead to the strengthening of the Axis, and they are right. Syria, Hezbollah and Iran really do not like us. The operational and political truth is that they have no reason to attack us, except for being dragged into friction with the Palestinians, and this really is major fire hazard. And it is a result more of the policy of the Israeli government policy than the policy of the Axis of Evil, which is busy surviving.
The Legacy of an Orthodox Feminist Who Was Murdered Before Her Time (Sefi Rachlevsky, Haaretz+) Knowledgeable and generous in describing the Orthodox approach, Dafna Meir presented her egalitarian and feminist position without being coercive or judgmental.
Israel's Weak Center Is Letting Radicals Destroy Zionism (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) Outflanked by the chauvinist right and the radical left, Israeli centrists have not proposed the third way that Tony Blair offered the British and Bill Clinton offered the Americans.
The opposite of the truth (MK Yoav Kisch, Israel Hayom) U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro was right that the law is applied unequally in Judea and Samaria sometimes. But in such cases, it is Palestinians who benefit, not Israelis.
Could Exonerated Former IDF Chief of Staff Be Israel's Next Prime Minister? (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) A stained reputation is not going to obstruct the former army chief's way to the highest position of all.
Test of humanity: Despite everything, we must remember that the enemy created in the image of G-d (Avraham Tirosh, Maariv) From the weekly Torah portion, we learn that an enemy from another nation is also a human being, God's creation, and thus he should be treated. But how many of us take this approach today?
When the Unreasonable Becomes Reasonable (Samah Salaime Egbariya, Haaretz+) From rampant racism to denying the occupation, as an Arab citizen I want to warn you that reason has stopped making sense in Israel.
An open invitation to the EU (Yossi Dagan, Israel Hayom) We must show our daily reality in Judea and Samaria.
Dan Shapiro's Double Standard (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) Israel's double legal standard in West Bank is the result of American pressure, and it would be wise to annex Area C and apply an egalitarian legal system there.
From Cairo to Cologne: Is Public Sexual Harassment Really Endemic to Arab Culture? (Khaled Diab, Haaretz+) The New Year’s Eve mob attacks on women unleashed a tidal wave of hate speech against migrants in Europe. The political profiteering obscured the fact that sexual assault isn’t just – or primarily – an Arab or Muslim problem.
Arm-twisting in Lebanese Elite Plays Into Hands of Hezbollah and Iran (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) Changing alliances in the drawn-out race for presidency destabilizes an already unstable system.
Zero-sum game: there is no candidate for President of the United States who is good for Israel (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) Soon, US citizens will begin to choose their next president. Even Trump is not good for us, because if his relationship with Netanyahu goes bad, things will be worse than during the Obama period.
Is Ted Cruz an anti-Semite? No, but… (Peter Beinart, Haaretz+) Four Democrats helped Marco Rubio write his immigration bill. So why do Cruz and his supporters only single out Chuck Schumer?
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.