News Summary:
The ‘Cold War’ in Syria and the threats by neighbors to invade, the death of a legendary general who ‘saved the country’ in the Yom Kippur War and the defrosting of Israel-European Union relations were the top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, a significant disagreements between the US and Israel over the aid package, while US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, arrived in the region for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And US Vice President Joe Biden was expected to come in two-weeks.
 
Israel’s Foreign Ministry declared that the diplomatic crisis between the EU and Israel was over and that the EU had backed down from labeling settlement products, the decision that had sparked Israel’s anger three months ago. The EU said it will leave product-labeling decisions up to each individual member country, Israel Hayom reported. The other papers reported that Israel simply received assurances that settlement product labeling 'is not a political step to determine future borders or to boycott Israel.' In a phone conversation, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to EU headquarters in Brussels and the two agreed to resume talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the MidEast Quartet foreign ministers decided to formulate a report on the situation in the West Bank, with recommendations on how to de-escalate the violence and promote a two-state solution, Mogherini also said that Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have both agreed to cooperate with the Quartet report on the peace process – which Netanyahu’s office denied. 
 
On the subject of Syria, the papers began referring to the new Cold War between the US and Russia over Syria as the ceasefire was supposed to begin and Russian bombs continued to fall. Meanwhile, Turkey and Syria have threatened to invade Syria with ground troops, which Russia warned against, and Turkey already began striking in Syria with artillery fire from tanks. Syrian Army troops were ready to attack the Daesh stronghold of Raqqa. At the Munich Conference, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said he expected that Syria would be divided into separate enclaves. He also said that Iran was the "biggest generator of terrorism in the world," that the recently implemented nuclear deal posed an "existential threat" to Israel and that it has sparked Arab states to be in a race to get nuclear weapons. Yaalon met on the sidelines with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. 
 
VIOLENCE:
Four Border Police fighters were lightly wounded in what some of the Hebrew papers said was a car-ramming attack by a van [but it was in question as it may have been a botched attempt to escape being caught inside Israel with Palestinians without permits. – OH] In a separate incident near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron,  the IDF said soldiers pushed away a 17-year-old Palestinian girl who tried to stab them and she accidentally stabbed a Palestinian man, lightly injuring him. Soldiers shot her dead. (Also Haaretz+ and Maariv)
 
Quick Hits:

• Israel broke ground on 1,800 settlement homes in 2015, Peace Now says - The government’s message to the settlers is that construction will be approved after the fact, the group says. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
• Jewish man sings Hatikvah at Temple Mount, is questioned by police - Abraham Fua sings the Israeli national anthem and speaks of the people of Israel's war with the Amalekites; police detain him for attempting to disturb the peace. (Ynet+VIDEO)
• Civil Administration demolishes dozens of illegal Palestinian structures - At least 14 of the structures were funded by the EU, which is considering legal action against Israel. Right-wing NGO: Civil Administration demolishes tents instead of serious structures. (Ynet)
• Israeli educators battle government over textbook content - Education Minister Naftali Bennett maintains controversial revisions to high school civics textbook are "excellent and professional." Educators argue new version inappropriately includes specific political, religious views, does students a disservice. (Israel Hayom)
• (Veteran journalist) Razi Barkai does not recant: "Bereavement is both here and across the fence" - After the storm he sparked on Army Radio in a confrontation with the family of (killed soldier) Hadar Goldin, Barkai made his position clear on the subject (of comparing the pain of bereaved parents of Israeli soldiers and of bereaved parents of Palestinians who killed Israelis) and said: "Whoever wants to take this in other directions - does so from malevolent motives." (Maariv)
• Arab MK slams lawmakers for meeting with terrorists' families - "It's not unreasonable to demand that Arab MKs show some public sensitivity," Zionist Union MK Zoher Behalul says. "Arab leaders are supposed to represent a bridge of dialogue and cooperation. We cannot encourage animosity and exclusion," he states. (Israel Hayom)
• Suspended Arab MK vows to keep visiting terrorists' families - Joint Arab List MK Basel Ghattas says terrorists "did not attempt to kill out of a criminal motive, they did so in the context of the just struggle against the oppressive occupation" • Ghattas demands that "martyrs'" bodies be returned for burial. (Israel Hayom)
• State urges court to order Breaking the Silence to identify its witnesses - IDF asks state to file request, claiming army needs more details in order to investigate suspected war crimes claims allegedly raised by veterans' groups. (Haaretz+)
• Shin Bet poster urges E. Jerusalem parents to prevent kids from committing terror attacks - Poster distributed in Sur Baher village warns parents that Hamas’ TV channel is brainwashing and inciting their children. (Haaretz+)
• Survivor of anti-Semitic stabbing in France joins elite IDF brigade - When Jonathan Weinberg was 13, a group of youths attacked him, sending him to the hospital for a month. "I realized that if Jews are brutalized for being Jews, France is no place for me." Last week, he earned the purple beret of a Givati fighter. (Israel Hayom)
• Palestinian indicted for online threats against MK Lieberman - Fadi Abu al-Saud also identified with a Palestinian terrorist on his Facebook page and published photos of Hamas members wielding weapons. (Ynet)
• How many synagogues does IDF need? - The IDF has seen an unprecedented growth in synagogues, most of it with foreign funds; meanwhile, non-Jewish soldiers suffice with praying in improvised shacks. (Haaretz+)
• Tel Aviv Museum director rejects accusations of 'self-censorship' over nixed Ai Weiwei exhibit - Tel Aviv Museum of Art director Suzanne Landau defends her organization's recent actions, and says she isn't afraid to resign if the culture minister tells her to censor something. (Haaretz+) 
• Daniel Radcliffe to star in movie adaptation of Israeli cult classic - Harry Potter star to act in adaptation of the book 'Back from Tuichi', a real-life survival tale by Israeli author Yossi Ghinsberg. (Ynet)
• Lapid secretly extends term as Yesh Atid leader for up to 7 more years - The MK and former finance minister, who founded his party in 2012, will be in charge until end of the next Knesset, which is potentially 2023. (Haaretz+) 
• Chinese airline to launch direct flights to Israel - Hainan Airlines is already placing a priority on its Tel Aviv-Beijing line; an airline representative told Ynet that 'the Israeli market is very important to us, and we are not afraid of the competition from El Al.’ (Yedioth/Ynet)
• Thousands of Egyptian Doctors Protest Against Police Abuses - The standoff suggests that Egypt's powerful security forces may have overstepped their limits by clashing with one of the country's most respected professions. (Agencies, Haaretz) 
• Israeli businessman aims to save Central Synagogue of Aleppo - After saving countless Syrian Muslim lives, and smuggling the last Jews in Syria out of the country to safety, Israeli businessman Moti Kahana is now focusing his efforts on saving the site of the famous Aleppo codex. (Ynet) 
• Machete-wielding man attacks diners in (Arab) Israeli-owned Ohio restaurant - The 30-year-old assailant was killed by the police after injuring four people in the Nazareth Restaurant and Deli. "Thirty minutes before he came and did the attack, he came in looked around, asked where I was from. Asked about our food, and where was I," the restaurant owner, Hany Baransi said. The restaurant is known in the community for its embrace of Israeli, Jewish and Arab Muslim culture. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Palestinians urge Oscar nominees to reject free Israel trip - Tourism Ministry spokeswoman says Israel offers gratis 10-day luxury vacations to 26 stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio. Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti says Israel is fighting "its increasing international isolation via bribes." (Agencies, Israel Hayom) 
• Chabad highlights Bernie Sanders' role in public Chanukah menorah issue - Hasidic movement's website recalls how Sanders, as mayor of Burlington, supported public lighting of menorah in the name of religious freedom. (Haaretz) 
• Bernie Sanders Recalls Difficult Childhood as He Revisits His Old Brooklyn Stomping Ground - Sanders tells CBS News how growing up in Midwood, a heavily Jewish area of Brooklyn, taught him about democracy. (JTA, Haaretz) 
• Ted Cruz campaign defends pastor who said God will send 'hunters' to kill Jews - ADL and National Jewish Democratic Council call on Cruz to clarify his opinion on Pastor Mike Bickle’s views. (Agencies, Haaretz)
• Features:
• When grandma took up a gun and joined the fight on Israel's northern frontierIn 1969, veterans of the Haganah, Irgun and WWII were asked to help defend the northern communities. The media described a giant success, but archives show they were mostly asked to help with the harvest. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz+) 
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  'We're not a nation of terrorists. We're only trying to defend our country'
• Friends and family describe Haitham Saada as a smart and gentle boy – and now a martyr, too. What led up to the Palestinian 14-year-old's death by IDF gunfire one Friday afternoon? His loved ones may never find out. (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+)
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  Rescued From the Realm of Legend: Israel's 1976 Entebbe Raid Revisited
• Forty years on, 'Operation Thunderbolt,' an authoritative account of the rescue of 102 hostages from a hijacked plane – warts and all – has finally come to light. (Andrew Esensten, Haaretz+)
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• Commentary/Analysis:
• Welcome to the One-state Club, Thomas Friedman (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) The most famous columnist in the world, who always reflects and shapes the mood in Washington, has finally realized that the two-state solution is dead. 
• The King approves, the Shin Bet appeals (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Not involving the Shin Bet in a crucial matter of security concerning the Palestinians is surprisingly negligent. But what the political leadership seems to lack is being compensated for, at least partly, by IDF chief Eisenkot.
• For Netanyahu, hatred of Arabs is a matter of policy (Yossi Verter, Haaretz+) Netanyahu is balking at nothing in his holy war against 'the Arabs.' He’s turned the government, the Knesset and the legislative process into a sad joke, hitting rock bottom with a bill to expel Israeli Arab lawmakers. 
• No Peace Partner in Netanyahu's Eyes, Only Wild Beasts (Carolina Landsmann, Haaretz+) Only someone who acknowledges the humanity of his enemy can fight him when necessary, and make peace with him when possible.
• Perpetuating the conflict (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) There was nothing humanitarian about the meeting of Balad MKs with terrorists' families. Their minute of silence in memory of the murderers was a statement of support of terrorism; meanwhile, insisting on holding onto the Arab villages around Jerusalem as part of the capital is pure foolishness. Both only serve to perpetuate the conflict.
• How I Learned to Fall in Love With Sanctions (Shlomo Sand, Haaretz+) Sanctions did not devastate South Africa or Iran. Nor will they destroy Israel; above all it will extricate Israel from a trap it is unable to get out of by itself.
• Condemnation, not censorship (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The Arab MKs who visited terrorists' families were voted in legally, entitling them to the protection enjoyed by all public representatives; the true test of a democracy is not protecting those who curry favor in the public eye, but rather the ability to protect those who are anathema to the state.
• The challenges facing Israel's new Shin Bet chief: Knives, tunnels, and ISIS propaganda (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) When asked recently what issue keeps him awake at night, new security service chief replied that it’s the possibility of Hamas carrying out a large-scale surprise attack. It’s now his job to keep that from happening.
• New Shin Bet Chief Must Also Protect Israel's Democracy From Jewish Extremism (Haaretz Editorial) Nadav Argaman, who Netanyahu tapped as head of Israel's security service, faces both professional and ideological challenges that extend beyond terror.
• Deep rift: We tend to forget that there are two Jewish states - the State of the Left and the State of the Right (Meir Uziel, Maariv) While we all seek and speak about the two states solution, in Israel there exists coexistence between two very different Jewish populations, who live side by side. 
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• Israel's angry, bitter left must reclaim the language of hope (Noah Efron, Haaretz+) We leftists whine and complain, we only talk about how bleak and hopeless life is in Israel. We alienate all those Israelis whose support we need to bring political change. 
• Israel was soft on Jewish terrorists in the 1980s - will history repeat itself? (Aimee Amiga, Haaretz+) The Jewish extremists of Israel’s past were quickly welcomed back into society as journalists, political activists and settler leaders. But experts say today’s offenders will not enjoy similar leniency. 
• Opposition is leading Israel to shut ourselves into a Pale of Settlement (Israel Harel, Haaretz+) Various segments of society are closing themselves off in specialized neighborhoods and selective community settlements, showing the degree to which we lack confidence in the face of anyone who is different.
• How a Radio Station Coarsely and Blatantly Aligned Itself With Netanyahu's Party (Friday Haaretz Editorial) Army Radio's falling into line behind its political patrons reflects the built-in problem of a military radio station in Israeli democracy.
• The threat among us: MKs and ministers from the right-wing are trying to mortally harm Israeli democracy (Prof. Cielo Rosenberg, Maariv) The law to suspend lawmakers is only one link in the chain of strategic tunnels that are being dug daily by a number of our elected officials in order to liquidate democracy. 
• America, be wary of a Palestinian state! (Yoram Ettinger, Israel Hayom) A Palestinian state would come at the expense of U.S. values and national security interests.
• Call apartheid in Israel by its name (Oren Yiftachel, Haaretz+) Citizenship here is reminiscent of South Africa's in the past: Jews are 'white' citizens, Arabs in Israel have 'colored' (in other words, partial) citizenship; and Palestinians in the territories have 'black' citizenship, without political rights. 
• Iran hasn't changed, the US has (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Iran is more sure of itself than ever and equally sure that the U.S. won't lift a finger against it. 
• Israeli Labor Party convention demonstrates deception of highest order (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) Nearly every delegate at the Tel Aviv conference is happy to declare their belief in the two-state solution, and to explain why it's not yet possible. 
• Israel’s militant rabbinical establishment wants to unJew you (Gershom Gorenberg, Haaretz+) Supporters of Israel’s state rabbinate claim it protects the unity of the Jewish people. In fact, the rabbinate is engaged in a fanatic, unstinting quest to divide Jew from Jew. 
• (Saudi) Arabian nights in Syria (Eitan Goldstein, Yedioth/Ynet) The past few days have seen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia express its desire to send ground forces into Syria at the head of a coalition including Turkey and the UAE. But why now? Geopolitical interests, religion, and the turning tide of the war in favor of the Assad regime may hold some of the answers. 
• Hamas tunnel threat burrows into minds of Israeli military, political leaders (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Hamas may have told Israel it isn’t looking for another war in Gaza, but it’s clearly desperate to advance its attack tunnels. It’s also delighted to be sowing seeds of discontent and concern among the Israeli public. 
• Russia's new Syrian strategy: Ethnic cleansing (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Russia's new strategy to prop Assad up is to destroy rebels' power base through ethnic cleansing, forcing supporters to flee as refugees to neighboring countries and eventually Europe. 
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• Lawmakers visiting terrorists' families: A humanitarian mission or an act that encourages violence?On the line with Knesset Member Rachel Azaria, who argues that a meeting between three Israeli Arab lawmakers and families of slain assailants was politically motivated. (Interviewed by Nir Gontarz in Haaretz+)
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• Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.