APN's daily news review from Israel
Monday April 11, 2016
Quote of the day:
"The terrorists choose to attack weak and defenseless civilians: old people, women, etc - essentially
anyone, except soldiers...Guerilla fighters are not terrorists. They are irregular soldiers, who fight against
regular army forces and not civilians."
--Excerpts from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's 1986 book about terror, which Yedioth revealed to show that once, he, too, made the distinction.
--Excerpts from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's 1986 book about terror, which Yedioth revealed to show that once, he, too, made the distinction.
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Political echelons secretly stopped Palestinian construction in Jerusalem
- Military Advocate General: The brigade commander was right when he shot the youth who threw a rock at his car and fled
- Following Haaretz petition: State Comptroller to publish parts of report on the nuclear reactor in Dimona
- More than 100 killed in a fireworks show at a temple in India
- Dozens of religious Zionists rabbis calling for tolerance towards homosexuals
- New master plan will strengthen the protection of 300,000 dunams of forests and nature reserves
- Eradicate prostitution, (punish clients) // Haaretz Editorial
- A prisoner in 7th grade // David Enoch (Hebrew)
- Zubin Mehta celebrates his 80th birthday with political criticism
- “My memory has been damaged” – Attorneys of Binyamin Ben-Eliezar request to stop the procedures against him due to his health situation
- The threats Kobi Niv received on Facebook became an illustrated book
- Black day on the roads – three killed in traffic accidents across the country
- Terror according to Netanyahu – Long before Zuheir Bahloul, the Prime Minister wrote: “Terrorists attack civilians, guerilla fighters operate against the army”
- Zionist Camp against unity (government)
- Israel: 8, Kim Jung On: 4 - Rare hockey game between the national teams in Mexico City
- Roads of blood
- Holocaust survivor who met Netanyahu: “You promised to help, we are still waiting”
- Cutting off the north: No train to Haifa this coming Thursday and Friday
- Suicidal with wings – IDF interested in new weapon of Israel Aerospace Industries: Drone equipped with fragmentation grenades to be carried on the backs of the soldiers
- Enough! Only the beginning of April and already 88 killed on roads
- Military police investigating whether Brig. Gen. Buchris (accused of rape) tried to obstruct justice
- Shin Bet says terror is waning, but PM warns: “Don’t heat up the Temple Mount”
- The lawyers’ strike: Justice Ministry submitted request for injunction
News Summary:
Three killed in traffic accidents, condemnations of the incitement against the Defense Minister for censuring the ‘Shooting Soldier from Hebron’ and the latest on the storm over an Arab MKs statements that Palestinians who attack Israeli soldiers are not terrorists made today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, the Shin Bet said Palestinian attacks dropped significantly and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he will continue to ban Israeli politicians from visiting the Temple Mount. Interestingly, most of the Palestinian attacks were made for personal or economic reasons and only some for nationalist motives, according to the Shin Bet.
Some right-wing leaders have spoken out in defense of Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and slammed those who circulated threatening cartoons, depicting him with a red target around his head. Education Minister Naftali Bennett said that although he differed with Yaalon and opposed speaking out against the Shooting Soldier from Hebron, he condemned the attacks on Yaalon. Yaalon has said, “This is a case of a soldier who has transgressed and not a hero." On Saturday night, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked called the online attack against Ya’alon, “serious incitement which is intolerable.” However, Shaked said she saw no connection between a right-wing political campaign against the Defense Minister and the online threats against him. But veteran Likud politician, Dan Meridor, said, "Ya'alon is alone. Once he was a leader of the Likud.” Meridor also quietly attacked Netanyahu: "When these things happen the leadership is tested. Are you a leader of the public who defines its limits, or do you run after the commenters on the internet and the radical activists? (Netanyahu’s) phone call to the father of the soldier suspected of killing is a deviation.” Meridor noted the silence by most of the government, Maariv reported. “There are many ministers in the government and almost none of them stand behind (Yaalon)." President Reuven Rivlin went on TV in Yaalon’s defense giving an interview to the nationalist ‘Channel 20’ TV station. Rivlin said the inciters are “threatening Israeli society.” (Maariv) The father of soldier wrote a letter to Yaalon saying he was "horrified” by the incitement against him. However, he also wrote that he and his family were shocked by Yaalon’s statements against his son and asked that his son, “an outstanding fighter, have the right to defend himself without outsiders affecting what is happening in court." (Maariv) Maariv also spoke with veteran Likud party members, who disassociated themselves from the crosshairs photo and the messages of incitement it sent.
At the request of (far-right-wing) Likud MK Nava Boker, the Knesset Ethics Committee will probe the statements by Arab MK Zuhair Bahloul (Zionist Camp) that a Palestinian who attacks an Israeli soldier is not a terrorist. In Bahloul’s defense, Yedioth reported on the front page that in his book, ‘“Fighting Terrorism,” published in English in 1986, Netanyahu himself made the division between guerilla fighters who targeted armed forces vs. terrorists who attacked innocent civilians. Maariv interviewed some outraged veterans of the pre-state underground movements, Lehi and Etzel, who could not believe that MK Bahloul compared between them and Palestinian assailants. "How can the freedom fighters be compared to the murderous Arabs?”
Quick Hits:
- Israeli army closes probe into officer who killed fleeing Palestinian stone-thrower - Military advocate general finds that the officer's shooting of Mohammad Kosba, 17, was justified as part of the procedure to arrest a suspect, and that the fact he shot the youth in the upper body instead of in the legs was an operational mistake. (Haaretz+, Maariv and Ynet)
- Far-right Activist Gopstein Acquitted of Assaulting Israeli Leftists - The judge dismissed the case against Lehava leader Bentzi Gopstein on the grounds that he may have thought he was attacking Palestinians. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Prosecution admits secret political decision to halt Palestinian building plan in Jerusalem neighborhood - Admission follows petition alleging discrimination in approval granted to Jewish developers in the area but not to Palestinians. (Haaretz+)
- Tzipi Livni speaks out against unity government: No way Zionist Union will join coalition - Zionist Union co-leader cites 'deep chasm between us and them' in letter sent to 30,000 members. (Haaretz+)
- IDF interested in the ‘suicidal drones’ - The IAI revealed the small 10 kilo aircraft, "Rotem,” designed for urban combat. It can be carried in a soldier’s backpack and can be used for aerial photography and collecting intelligence photos, and by pressing a button can to turn into a deadly suicide drone carrying powerful fragmentation grenades. Its operating system is simple to use and allows entry through windows and to maneuver around fences. (Maariv and Israel Hayom, p. 17)
- Shaul family calls on goverment to bring back their son's remains - Herzl Shaul, now suffering from cancer, demands government expedite the return of the remains of his son Oron who was killed in Shujaiya during Operation Protective Edge. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Palestinians: Israel digging up Muslim graves - A new 'blood libel' by the Palestinian Authority: Israel is trying to Judaize burial areas in Jerusalem by digging up Muslim graves and replacing with fictitious Jewish graves. Tomorrow, discussion to be held in UNESCO. (Yedioth, p. 9)
- Gov't approves plan to improve law enforcement in Arab sector - Plan includes construction of 10 new police stations and renovation of 10 existing ones in Arab or mixed cities, and adding 2,600 new officers to force. (Ynet)
- Citing Social Climate, Israeli High School Stops Annual Poland Trips - The trips serve to deligitimize the 'other' in the current ultranationalist atmosphere and has become very expensive over the years, says high school principal. Instead of the Poland visits, the high schoolers will conduct five-day trips throughout Israel, during which the students will meet with various population groups and people with special needs. (Haaretz+)
- Former Iraqi diplomat in Israel for rare visit - Hamad Al-Sharifi, 55, who served as an Iraqi diplomat in Kuwait and Jordan, arrived in Israel on Sunday for a visit; he will be an official guest of the Foreign Ministry and one day hopes to be the Iraqi ambassador to Israel. (Haaretz and Ynet)
- Report: Agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia requires changing the peace treaty with Israel - According to the report, Cairo updated Jerusalem about developments in re-drawing the maritime borders between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the Gulf of Aqaba, including the transfer of control over the islands of Sanafir and Tiran to Saudi Arabia. (Maariv and Ynet)
- Following Haaretz petition, comptroller to publish parts of Dimona nuclear reactor report - The report prepared was deemed classified although not all its sections deal with security matters; portions of it will be made public next month. (Haaretz+)
- Citing social climate, Israeli high school stops annual Poland trips - The trips serve to deligitimize the 'other' in the current ultranationalist atmosphere, says high school principal. (Haaretz+)
- Bennett: Personal attacks on defense minister put Israel 'in danger' - Right-wing activists circulated threatening cartoons of Ya'alon depicting him with a red target around his head. (Haaretz)
- General Suspected of Rape Also Being Investigated for Alleged Obstruction of Justice - Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris’ lawyers deny the latest reports that the former Golani Brigade commander tried to contact witnesses. (Haaretz+ and Maariv)
- Study Finds Genetic Connection Between Indian Bnei Israel and Middle Eastern Jews - Researchers assume the move from the Middle East to India was accomplished mainly by men who arrived and married local women, possibly after their conversion. (Haaretz+)
- $655.5 Million Award for U.S. Victims of Palestinian Terrorism Faces Legal Test - The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan will hear arguments as to whether it was legitimate for the lower U.S. court to hear the case, The Wall Street Journal reports. (Haaretz)
- Saudi Arabia Draws Egypt Closer With New Bridge Linking Sinai to Arabia - Egypt's failing economy is forcing it to cling to Saudi Arabia and the other rich Gulf states but their support comes with a price. (Haaretz+)
- Russia and Syria Plan to Retake Aleppo From Rebels, Says Assad's PM - Cease-fire comes under new strain as government and rebel forces step up fight; UN envoy due in Damascus in a bid to advance struggling diplomatic efforts. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- For Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, Burying Relatives One of Many Struggles - Unable to transport the body back to Syria, refugees lay their loved ones to rest in Lebanon, where prejudice and poor infrastructure result in sub-standard burials. (Agencies, Haaretz)
- Iran Begins Three-day Military Exercise - The Revolutionary Guard have announced a multi-day drill to test new equipment and train forces. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
Field trips, workshops and ceremonies: How settlers' agenda found its way into Israeli
schools
Analysis of four programs operated by the Education Ministry shows a common method and goals – omitting or distorting historical facts, blurring disputes and continuous emphasis on one identity, closed off to others. (Or Kashti, Haaretz+)
This is how the sector of military attorneys has turned into a a prosperous sector in the shadow of the fight against terror
Not only the Shooting Soldier in Hebron: In the era of social networks and video clips by organizations such as B'tselem, more and more soldiers find themselves in need of lawyers. The field of military law has become exposed and prestigious. (Eyal Levy, Maariv)
WATCH: In Israeli choir, Arab and Jewish women put aside politics to sing with one voice
The newly independent all-female Rana Choir of Jaffa, a rare example of a successful coexistence project, sings in Arabic and Hebrew, as well as in Ladino and Yiddish. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
What fractured Jerusalem needs now: Cosmopolitanism, diversity and liberality
Adina Hoffman's 'Till We Have Built Jerusalem: Architects of a New City' is a captivating history of her adopted city, told through the lives and buildings of three 20th-century visionaries. (Samuel Thrope, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Analysis of four programs operated by the Education Ministry shows a common method and goals – omitting or distorting historical facts, blurring disputes and continuous emphasis on one identity, closed off to others. (Or Kashti, Haaretz+)
This is how the sector of military attorneys has turned into a a prosperous sector in the shadow of the fight against terror
Not only the Shooting Soldier in Hebron: In the era of social networks and video clips by organizations such as B'tselem, more and more soldiers find themselves in need of lawyers. The field of military law has become exposed and prestigious. (Eyal Levy, Maariv)
WATCH: In Israeli choir, Arab and Jewish women put aside politics to sing with one voice
The newly independent all-female Rana Choir of Jaffa, a rare example of a successful coexistence project, sings in Arabic and Hebrew, as well as in Ladino and Yiddish. (Judy Maltz, Haaretz+)
What fractured Jerusalem needs now: Cosmopolitanism, diversity and liberality
Adina Hoffman's 'Till We Have Built Jerusalem: Architects of a New City' is a captivating history of her adopted city, told through the lives and buildings of three 20th-century visionaries. (Samuel Thrope, Haaretz+)
Commentary/Analysis:
Why Is Goldman Sachs Funding the Violent, Racist Jewish Settlers of Hebron? (Maya Haber,
Haaretz+) Even though the firm's Charitable Gift Fund consistently gives to right-wing
Israeli groups or their U.S. fronts, the Hebron aid is a standout, as the showcase city for the worst of
the Israeli occupation.
What Happened to the Iranian Bomb? (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) The entire political establishment adopted Netanyahu’s nightmare scenarios regarding Iran. Nobody in Israel ever paid a price for prophecies of woe that never came true.
Mr. Security: The right-wing promises that Ya'alon's career is destroyed, but he has no regrets (Ben Caspit, Maariv) ‘Boogie’ (Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon) is a man of principles and he will slam into every wall in the name of those principles.
The Likud has abandoned Ya’alon (Dan Meridor, Yedioth/Ynet) Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s recent defense of the IDF and its values should be lauded by his fellow ministers. Instead, he’s been left to fend off his attackers alone.
Lay Off Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Of all those taking part in the discussion on the Hebron incident, the defense minister is probably the most experienced in dealing with terrorists.
Any excuse to lash out (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The criticism leveled at Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has taken a dangerous turn and is now full-blown incitement.
Are We Really Any Less Racist Than Smotrich? (Kobi Niv, Haaretz+) The Member of Knesset came out in support of separation of Jewish and Arab mothers in maternity wards. But most of the liberal left want more than a curtain separating Palestinians from Israelis.
Post-Wisconsin Believe It or Not Scenario: Texas Evangelical Versus Brooklyn Jew (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) Sanders hammered Clinton and Cruz clobbered Trump, but the former secretary of state is still the favorite, while the N.Y. tycoon could be losing steam.
Egyptian-Saudi ties come to the forefront (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) Saudi King Salman visited Egypt and signed a plethora of deals with the Egyptian government, including plans to build a bridge between the two countries. The deals signed point to the strong support by the Saudi regime as Egypt suffers from security and economic woes.
For the Israeli Government, the Tragedy of the Bedouin Jahalin Tribe Is a Success (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The High Court of Justice will hear a petition from the Bedouin against their forced transfer to a nearby village; four families have asked the EU to intervene.
What about the Kurds? (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Israel's emerging rapprochement with Turkey is partly due to Erdogan's desire to block the creation of an independent Kurdish state.
Netanyahu Deserves Credit for Drop in Palestinian Attacks, Especially for Not Interfering (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The prime minister takes pride in bringing about the current, relatively calm security situation – but the defense minister, IDF chief and the Palestinians have also done their part. Moreover, it may not last.
The painful truth: How much are we devoting to our enemies and how much are we ignoring those who love us? (Meir Uziel, Maariv) The fact that you have not heard about Olga Misho, a black woman from South Africa, who fiercely defends Israel, once again demonstrates our irrational division.
Peter Beinart Is Wrong: Palestinian Hostility to Israel Is Frequently anti-Semitic (Rabbi Gideon D. Sylvester, Haaretz+) After four years of working for Jewish human rights organizations, I have seen too much unfairness to Israel to doubt that, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks states, anti-Zionism is frequently anti-Semitic.
What Happened to the Iranian Bomb? (Raviv Drucker, Haaretz+) The entire political establishment adopted Netanyahu’s nightmare scenarios regarding Iran. Nobody in Israel ever paid a price for prophecies of woe that never came true.
Mr. Security: The right-wing promises that Ya'alon's career is destroyed, but he has no regrets (Ben Caspit, Maariv) ‘Boogie’ (Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon) is a man of principles and he will slam into every wall in the name of those principles.
The Likud has abandoned Ya’alon (Dan Meridor, Yedioth/Ynet) Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s recent defense of the IDF and its values should be lauded by his fellow ministers. Instead, he’s been left to fend off his attackers alone.
Lay Off Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Moshe Arens, Haaretz+) Of all those taking part in the discussion on the Hebron incident, the defense minister is probably the most experienced in dealing with terrorists.
Any excuse to lash out (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The criticism leveled at Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has taken a dangerous turn and is now full-blown incitement.
Are We Really Any Less Racist Than Smotrich? (Kobi Niv, Haaretz+) The Member of Knesset came out in support of separation of Jewish and Arab mothers in maternity wards. But most of the liberal left want more than a curtain separating Palestinians from Israelis.
Post-Wisconsin Believe It or Not Scenario: Texas Evangelical Versus Brooklyn Jew (Chemi Shalev, Haaretz) Sanders hammered Clinton and Cruz clobbered Trump, but the former secretary of state is still the favorite, while the N.Y. tycoon could be losing steam.
Egyptian-Saudi ties come to the forefront (Smadar Perry, Yedioth/Ynet) Saudi King Salman visited Egypt and signed a plethora of deals with the Egyptian government, including plans to build a bridge between the two countries. The deals signed point to the strong support by the Saudi regime as Egypt suffers from security and economic woes.
For the Israeli Government, the Tragedy of the Bedouin Jahalin Tribe Is a Success (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) The High Court of Justice will hear a petition from the Bedouin against their forced transfer to a nearby village; four families have asked the EU to intervene.
What about the Kurds? (Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom) Israel's emerging rapprochement with Turkey is partly due to Erdogan's desire to block the creation of an independent Kurdish state.
Netanyahu Deserves Credit for Drop in Palestinian Attacks, Especially for Not Interfering (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) The prime minister takes pride in bringing about the current, relatively calm security situation – but the defense minister, IDF chief and the Palestinians have also done their part. Moreover, it may not last.
The painful truth: How much are we devoting to our enemies and how much are we ignoring those who love us? (Meir Uziel, Maariv) The fact that you have not heard about Olga Misho, a black woman from South Africa, who fiercely defends Israel, once again demonstrates our irrational division.
Peter Beinart Is Wrong: Palestinian Hostility to Israel Is Frequently anti-Semitic (Rabbi Gideon D. Sylvester, Haaretz+) After four years of working for Jewish human rights organizations, I have seen too much unfairness to Israel to doubt that, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks states, anti-Zionism is frequently anti-Semitic.
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.