APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday February 2, 2016
Quote of the day:
"If I were to attempt to speak on behalf of many readers, I ought to say this directly: Mr. Netanyahu,
you promised us security – so keep your word. There's no reason to get "used to" life under the threat of
terrorism. There's also no reason to show understanding for a policy of inaction as far as the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is concerned."
--Yedioth political analyst Shimon Shiffer says Israel’s leadership must stop ‘managing’ the conflict and must initiate solving it.*
--Yedioth political analyst Shimon Shiffer says Israel’s leadership must stop ‘managing’ the conflict and must initiate solving it.*
You Must Be Kidding:
"I had no political motive in placing the work [here], and as long as I am Knesset speaker, it will stand in the Knesset."
--Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein speaking at the unveiling of a controversial monument in the Knesset building commemorating Israel's 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip and evacuation of the Gush Katif settlements.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- In an exceptional move, IDF put siege around Ramallah for one day and prohibited residents from leaving the city
- Israel: There is no intention at the moment to attack in Gaza over the tunnels // Amos Harel
- Criticism of pollution study in Haifa: Partial statistics, unnecessary panic
- Education Ministry examining separation of secular and religious children in gifted classes
- Russia promised Israel its forces in Syria aren't transfering arms to Hezbollah
- Security forces discovered too late that Melhem stole a watch that broadcast his location
- Primaries for US presidency opened in Iowa
- Operation Herzog // Haaretz Editorial
- ¼ page ad: Black List – A performance with a dash of hope – Artists and organizations in support of human rights and peace – Friday at noon, Hangar 11, Tel-Aviv Port, Free Entry
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The Haifans protest – The study and the storm – Environment Ministry: Don’t rule out closing down polluting factories
- The city that smokes // Raanan Shaked
- Grant from the US against tunnels
- Elections in the US, all the results on Ynet
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- Escalation in attempts to isolate Israel
- “We didn’t find any terror tunnels under homes” – Defense Minister tries to calm the south
- “We will consider closing down polluting factories”
- Moment of truth of pollsters in the US: Primaries in Iowa begin
Israel Hayom
- Global emergency because of Zika virus
- The battle against pollution: Moral obligation, even if there is not scientific proof // Raz Reznik
- “IDF still hasn’t found tunnels under the community”
- “It’s a great honor and a heavy responsibility” – Mandelblitt enters, Weinstein exits as Attorney General
- History returns: Dizengoff Square will return to being street level
- Primaries in the US: Iowa votes
News Summary:
Mixed reactions of fear and disbelief over the study of the effects of air pollution on Haifa babies, Israel’s Defense Minister tries to calm scared Israelis living near the Gaza Strip, while the IDF seals off the city of Ramallah for the first time in five years making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, Maariv focuses on the increasing isolation of Israel abroad.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said no tunnels were found under Israeli homes, despite the fears of the residents of Israel’s ‘Gaza envelope’ communities. Yaalon also slammed Opposition leader Isaac Herzog for accusing the government of inaction over tunnels and calling on the government to bomb Gaza. “It’s also possible to strike the hundred thousand rockets that Hezbollah has or Iran’s hundreds of missiles, however judgment and responsibility must be exercised,” said Yaalon. (Maariv)
After a Palestinian police officer shot and injured three Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint leading out of Ramallah on Sunday, Israel partially closed off roads to the city of Ramallah, a move that sowed chaos among locals who said it was intended as collective punishment. Israel has not done that since 2011.
Maariv reported that Israeli consulates and embassies around the world are reporting a sharp rise of attempts to boycott Israel. Of the dozens of internal mail the Foreign Ministry receives from its representative offices abroad, Maariv saw messages from Barcelona, from Liege in Belgium, where Israeli sponsorship for the annual dance festival was rejected due to threats of boycott, from the city of Chicago, where "the Jerusalem Open House" event at the local LGBT community was cancelled and then reinstated but hundreds demonstrated outside, and in the US state of Georgia, where a regional conference of all branches of the organization SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine) was held last weekend at Emory University, despite Israeli attempts to stop it. “In the past, the boycott movement acted only on the diplomatic level - demonstrations at embassies and against MPs who supported Israel,” a senior Foreign Ministry official told Maariv’s Dana Somberg. “But since Jibril Rajoub appeared at a FIFA conference and issued a symbolic 'red card' to Israel, we see the (BDS) movement streams more in civilian directions.”
Mixed reactions of fear and disbelief over the study of the effects of air pollution on Haifa babies, Israel’s Defense Minister tries to calm scared Israelis living near the Gaza Strip, while the IDF seals off the city of Ramallah for the first time in five years making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also, Maariv focuses on the increasing isolation of Israel abroad.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said no tunnels were found under Israeli homes, despite the fears of the residents of Israel’s ‘Gaza envelope’ communities. Yaalon also slammed Opposition leader Isaac Herzog for accusing the government of inaction over tunnels and calling on the government to bomb Gaza. “It’s also possible to strike the hundred thousand rockets that Hezbollah has or Iran’s hundreds of missiles, however judgment and responsibility must be exercised,” said Yaalon. (Maariv)
After a Palestinian police officer shot and injured three Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint leading out of Ramallah on Sunday, Israel partially closed off roads to the city of Ramallah, a move that sowed chaos among locals who said it was intended as collective punishment. Israel has not done that since 2011.
Maariv reported that Israeli consulates and embassies around the world are reporting a sharp rise of attempts to boycott Israel. Of the dozens of internal mail the Foreign Ministry receives from its representative offices abroad, Maariv saw messages from Barcelona, from Liege in Belgium, where Israeli sponsorship for the annual dance festival was rejected due to threats of boycott, from the city of Chicago, where "the Jerusalem Open House" event at the local LGBT community was cancelled and then reinstated but hundreds demonstrated outside, and in the US state of Georgia, where a regional conference of all branches of the organization SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine) was held last weekend at Emory University, despite Israeli attempts to stop it. “In the past, the boycott movement acted only on the diplomatic level - demonstrations at embassies and against MPs who supported Israel,” a senior Foreign Ministry official told Maariv’s Dana Somberg. “But since Jibril Rajoub appeared at a FIFA conference and issued a symbolic 'red card' to Israel, we see the (BDS) movement streams more in civilian directions.”
Quick Hits:
- Almost all West Bank land deals for illegal settlements forged, investigation finds - From straw men to cash-stuffed suitcases, new investigation reveals that 14 out 15 acquisitions by right wing firm of West Bank lands from Palestinians were forged. (Haaretz+)
- Palestinians Say New Western Wall Section Violates Status Quo - Israel will use the construction to undermine Al-Aqsa, 'Judaize' the Old City, Palestinian religious affairs minister says. (Haaretz+)
- 'Stop-and-frisk' bill gets final approval - Knesset passes bill permitting police to conduct body searches with probable cause; wording softened from previous version, but some fear that minorities will be unfairly targeted. (Ynet)
- Vote on controversial Israeli NGO bill postponed - Discussion on urgent asylum-seeker, stop-and-frisk bills overshadows final decision on controversial legislation targeting leftist groups. (Haaretz+)
- Stop printing sexist and offensive T-shirts, IDF women’s affairs adviser urges soldiers - Shirts commemorating training achievements that mock rape or murder are not appropriate, Brig. Gen. Rachel Tevet-Wiesel writes in letter to soldiers. (Haaretz+)
- Defense Minister Ya'alon extends detention of far-right extremist Meir Ettinger - Another right-wing activist, Eviatar Slonim, to be released under an administrative restraining order. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Al-Aqsa mosque manager banned from Temple Mount - Jerusalem police decides to keep Najah Bacirat away from the holy site for six months; security forces say Bacirat is a radical, inciting figure. (Ynet)
- Israeli forces demolish 4 Bedouin homes, leaving 22 homeless - Locals said Israeli military vehicles stormed the area northwest of Ramallah from a bypass road near the homes leading to illegal Israeli settlements, then tore down the makeshift homes leaving 22 people homeless. (Maan)
- 14-year old Palestinian arrested in Jerusalem for carrying knife - Israeli police officers searched the teenager, a resident of occupied East Jerusalem, and found a kitchen knife under his clothes, Israel Police said. (Maan)
- Israeli academics feel shunned as boycott movement gains steam - Although the movement ostensibly targets universities, not individuals, Israeli academics say they are often snubbed at the personal level. (Agencies, Haaretz and Israel Hayom)
- Australian Retailer Halts Sale of Globes Which Omits Israel for Palestine - The stationery chain, which ironically is named Typo, said Israel was labeled with a number tied to a key on the globe's base due to space limitations. (Haaretz)
- Foreign Ministry to help limit product-labeling damage - Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely and the Israeli Export Institute set up mechanism to help exporters, who are affected by labeling, to find other markets. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israel already reviewing culture works to disqualify from schools - Transparency committee meets to discuss introduction of fundamental changes in National Cultural Basket, a partnership between Education Ministry, local governments and Israel Association of Community Centers. (Haaretz+)
- Russia assured Israel it isn’t transferring arms to Hezbollah in Syria - Internal Russian probe confirmed no arms were passed to the Lebanese militia, Israel's ambassador to Moscow tells Knesset panel, adding that Russian-Israeli relations 'are flourishing in unprecedented manner.' (Haaretz+)
- Thousands attend military funeral of PA officer behind West Bank shooting - Thousands of Palestinian on Monday took part in the military funeral procession of Palestinian Authority police officer Amjad Sukkari, who was shot dead the day before when he shot and wounded three Israeli soldiers west of Ramallah. (Maan)
- Islamic Jihad, Hamas officials rally in Gaza to support West Bank shooting - "This operation by martyr Sukkari was a natural reaction expected by any noble and free Palestinian to the crimes and executions the Israeli occupation army has been carrying out in the West Bank and Jerusalem," Ahmad al-Mudallal, a senior Islamic Jihad official, said. (Maan)
- **Knesset statue commemorating Gaza disengagement draws protest - Peace Now's Yariv Oppenheimer: The murders of PM Yitzhak Rabin and peace activist Emil Grunzweig should have been commemorated first. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
- NASA astronauts arrive for Israeli Space Week - Annual event held in memory of first Israeli astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon. Scientific experiments, lectures to take place through Saturday. "The goal is to get as many young people as possible exposed to space research," says Space Minister Ofir Akunis. (Israel Hayom)
- New Attorney General Mendelblit inherits pile of sensitive cases from Weinstein - Most prominent file involves allegations of financial improprieties at the prime minister’s residences. (Haaretz+)
- Anti-nuclear test agency calls on Israel to ratify ban - North Korea's recent nuclear test shows need for treaty to be ratified by eight more nuclear technology states, group says. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Two Palestinians from Gaza charged with entering Israel using forged medical documents - One of the two is a member of Hamas, Shin bet says. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Palestinian Envoy to Brazil Commemorates Holocaust - 'It is very important to remember this date,' Palestinian envoy Ibrahim Alzeben declared. (JTA, Haaretz)
- Blockading Cuban: Israel won’t let islander in to visit brother - 'An Israeli citizen wants to see his brother, whom he hasn’t seen for years, and they make it so hard for him, after all the previous times that went off without any problems?' (Haaretz+)
- Israeli Film 'Sand Storm' Wins Top Prize at Sundance - Arabic-language Israeli drama tells the story of a Bedouin woman who must welcome her husband's second wife. (JTA, Haaretz)
- First Israeli photographer to win Pulitzer recalls powerful image during evacuation of West Bank settlement - 'Ten years after I shot that photo nothing much has changed, there are still many conflicts in the Middle East,' Oded Balilty says. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- US arrests global Hezbollah money-laundering network - DEA nabs terror network laundering millions on behalf of drug cartels in order to finance terrorism and operations in Lebanon and Syria. (Ynet)
- Death Toll in ISIS Attack in Damascus Surpasses 70, Monitoring Group Says - A car bomb and two suicide bombers attacked the Sayeda Zeinab district, home to Syria's holiest Shi'ite shrine, as peace talks began in Geneva. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- UN envoy declares 'official beginning' to Syria peace talks - Delegations from Assad regime and Syrian opposition arrive in Geneva in effort to bring about ceasefire for five-year civil war; 'Russia regime will produce a new Hitler, and we are suffering from another Hitler in Syria,' says opposition chief spokesman. (Agencies, Ynet)
- Iran: $100b. in assets 'fully released' under nuclear deal - Tehran gains accesses to frozen assets that have been piling up in banks in China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey since sanctions were tightened in 2012. (Agencies, Ynet)
Features:
Settlers' secret deal to buy two houses in Hebron
Negotiations began five years ago and included dozens of secret meetings; the payment was made at a Kiryat Arba gas stop: An envelope with money for the deeds to the property on 36 Al-Shuhada Street; now, the Palestinian seller is in hiding with a death sentence over his head, while his son was taken by the PA to pressure him into turning himself in, and the buyers are waiting on the decision: Can they move in? (Oded Shalom and Elisha Ben Kimon, Yedioth/Ynet)
Poem of the Week: Monsters Started Walking Among Us and We Were Silent
Houses were marked, people disappeared, the monsters smiled politely: Tuvia Ruebner delineates an ominous atmosphere – everywhere. (Vivian Eden, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Negotiations began five years ago and included dozens of secret meetings; the payment was made at a Kiryat Arba gas stop: An envelope with money for the deeds to the property on 36 Al-Shuhada Street; now, the Palestinian seller is in hiding with a death sentence over his head, while his son was taken by the PA to pressure him into turning himself in, and the buyers are waiting on the decision: Can they move in? (Oded Shalom and Elisha Ben Kimon, Yedioth/Ynet)
Poem of the Week: Monsters Started Walking Among Us and We Were Silent
Houses were marked, people disappeared, the monsters smiled politely: Tuvia Ruebner delineates an ominous atmosphere – everywhere. (Vivian Eden, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israeli military keen to lower the sound of war drums (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) As rhetoric heats up over Hamas' attack tunnels into Israel, the army tells
Knesset members to cool it.
*Somewhere between repression, denial, and despair (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel's leaders, from left and right, refuse to take action. Sticking in place seems to aid them in preserving their interests, while Israel and its citizenry sink deeper into the diplomatic quicksand.
Israel has a rule that combines elements of dictatorship and theocracy (Uri Savir, Maariv) The fate of the persecution of artists and judges is to end with a whimper, as is the fate of occupation. History shows that in spite of the dark days, the future is still bright.
Herzog Passes Netanyahu on the Right - and Fails as Opposition Leader (Haaretz Editorial) It can be assumed that if Herzog's wish to dig a tunnel into the Netanyahu cabinet and to smuggle himself into the foreign minister's office were to come true, he would be that government's right flank.
Herzog embarrasses himself (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog's proposal to launch a military operation to destroy Hamas' tunnels is out of place.
More Must Be Done to Combat Crime in the Israeli Arab Street (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Isn’t it time to put the Islamic State at the top of the Israeli Arab leadership’s agenda and to declare a universal humanist revolution in our schools?
Why doesn’t the Israeli government put on trial those who incite within it and against it (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) In which direction will the next Attorney General turn, who deserves to lead the opposition and why shouldn’t the United States spy on us?
Only Religious Nationalism Can Prop Up Israel's Colonial Principle (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) For a country to truly devastate its environs with consistency, it needs drones that kill indiscriminately, without feelings of remorse, and a Spartanism that only nationalist religion can provide.
War Zone: The conflicts in the Muslim world will determine the future of Middle East (Amos Gilboa, Maariv) Two major battles divide the Muslim world in the Middle East: the Sunni-Shiite and internal Sunni conflict. The results will determine the political and cultural character of the region.
The Two Faces of Zionist Union MK Shelly Yacimovich (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) Yacimovich brands a government official a traitor for not backing his boss, then attacks her own leader for his policies. And that’s only the start of her hypocrisy.
Israel must prepare for a direct confrontation with the settlers and the Palestinian collaborators (Ran Adelist, Maariv) All those who spoke at the annual strategic conference chose their favorite threat, but just one key phrase was not spoken: Israel must return to the pre-'67 borders and declare in advance its intention to dismantle settlements.
Palestinian torture produces no outrage (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Governments and human rights organizations are ignoring severe abuses in PA and Hamas detention centers.
The Left's Obscene Contest Over Israeli Culture (Benny Ziffer, Haaretz+) In the contest of who is the most vulgar, the left-wing icon Noa or the right-wing culture minister Miri Regev, Noa wins hands-down.
When It Comes to the Occupation, Israelis Can't Make Subversive Art (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) A truly subversive work can only come from the true oppression of the creator, from the deprivation of his freedom; better choose a different profession.
The battle for Israel is liberal vs illiberal, not right vs left (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz+) The long-term goal of Israel’s new political right, led by its standard bearer Im Tirtzu, is to turn Israel into a closed society. This is how we can stop them.
*Somewhere between repression, denial, and despair (Shimon Shiffer, Yedioth/Ynet) Israel's leaders, from left and right, refuse to take action. Sticking in place seems to aid them in preserving their interests, while Israel and its citizenry sink deeper into the diplomatic quicksand.
Israel has a rule that combines elements of dictatorship and theocracy (Uri Savir, Maariv) The fate of the persecution of artists and judges is to end with a whimper, as is the fate of occupation. History shows that in spite of the dark days, the future is still bright.
Herzog Passes Netanyahu on the Right - and Fails as Opposition Leader (Haaretz Editorial) It can be assumed that if Herzog's wish to dig a tunnel into the Netanyahu cabinet and to smuggle himself into the foreign minister's office were to come true, he would be that government's right flank.
Herzog embarrasses himself (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog's proposal to launch a military operation to destroy Hamas' tunnels is out of place.
More Must Be Done to Combat Crime in the Israeli Arab Street (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Isn’t it time to put the Islamic State at the top of the Israeli Arab leadership’s agenda and to declare a universal humanist revolution in our schools?
Why doesn’t the Israeli government put on trial those who incite within it and against it (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) In which direction will the next Attorney General turn, who deserves to lead the opposition and why shouldn’t the United States spy on us?
Only Religious Nationalism Can Prop Up Israel's Colonial Principle (Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz+) For a country to truly devastate its environs with consistency, it needs drones that kill indiscriminately, without feelings of remorse, and a Spartanism that only nationalist religion can provide.
War Zone: The conflicts in the Muslim world will determine the future of Middle East (Amos Gilboa, Maariv) Two major battles divide the Muslim world in the Middle East: the Sunni-Shiite and internal Sunni conflict. The results will determine the political and cultural character of the region.
The Two Faces of Zionist Union MK Shelly Yacimovich (Nehemia Shtrasler, Haaretz+) Yacimovich brands a government official a traitor for not backing his boss, then attacks her own leader for his policies. And that’s only the start of her hypocrisy.
Israel must prepare for a direct confrontation with the settlers and the Palestinian collaborators (Ran Adelist, Maariv) All those who spoke at the annual strategic conference chose their favorite threat, but just one key phrase was not spoken: Israel must return to the pre-'67 borders and declare in advance its intention to dismantle settlements.
Palestinian torture produces no outrage (Elliott Abrams, Israel Hayom) Governments and human rights organizations are ignoring severe abuses in PA and Hamas detention centers.
The Left's Obscene Contest Over Israeli Culture (Benny Ziffer, Haaretz+) In the contest of who is the most vulgar, the left-wing icon Noa or the right-wing culture minister Miri Regev, Noa wins hands-down.
When It Comes to the Occupation, Israelis Can't Make Subversive Art (Sayed Kashua, Haaretz+) A truly subversive work can only come from the true oppression of the creator, from the deprivation of his freedom; better choose a different profession.
The battle for Israel is liberal vs illiberal, not right vs left (Carlo Strenger, Haaretz+) The long-term goal of Israel’s new political right, led by its standard bearer Im Tirtzu, is to turn Israel into a closed society. This is how we can stop them.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.