News Nosh 04.12.16

by APN 04/12/16
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APN's daily news review from Israel
Tuesday April 12, 2016
 
Quote of the day:
"The Smotriches spoke of the holy and pure moment of the birth of a Jewish child. Of the demand that Arab hands not interfere and pollute this holiness and purity. Of the refusal to share the physical space with Arabs, because Arabs are by necessity enemies. Of the baby that is born to an Arab mother and in another 20 years will murder the baby of the Jewish mother. This is not just ordinary racism. Racism is always offensive and it is important to fight it. But racism has its degrees, too. This is the vocabulary of the master race.”
--Haaretz+ commentator Uri Misgav writes that the time has come to recognize the phenomenon of a Judeo-Nazi movement that exists in the margins of Israeli society. 

Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
  • The conquistador – Eran Zahavi scored 31st goal and broke record
  • In trouble – Inbal Or hid from police; Expected to be questioned by police today under warning
  • Likely: Herzog to be questioned under warning
  • The painful letter of the widow of (former minister Eitan) Gandhi to Ilana Dayan (whose program ‘Fact’ aired testimonies that Gandhi raped them)
Maariv This Week Israel Hayom
  • “With dozens of attacks, we prevented Hezbollah from getting weapons”
  • Police: Probe Herzog under warning
  • King! Eran Zahavi scored 31st goal and broke record
  • Inbal Or’s assets frozen
  • 1.1million travelers at airport on Passover
  • Want a generous present for the holiday? Work for the Dead Sea Works

News Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu admits Israel struck targets in Syria and Lebanon, the police seek opening a criminal investigation into Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog and real estate entrepreneur Inbal Or, while the transfer of two islands from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty may mark good news for Israel making top stories in today’s Hebrew newspapers. Also in the news, Turkish Prime Minister Tayep Erdogan said a Turkey-Israel reconciliation is impossible unless Israel lifts its blockade over the Gaza Strip.  US President Barack Obama is considering a proposal to promote a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians based on two states for two peoples, the New York Times reported and Maariv quoted. And there were conflicting reports about whether Iran was receiving its long delayed shipment of S-300 air defense missile from Russia. (Yedioth’s military affairs analyst, Alex Fishman, said it wasn’t a threat to Israel unless it were deployed to Syria or Lebanon. See Commentary/Analysis.)
 
Egypt informed Israel in advance that it plans on handing over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Maariv reminded that the islands Tiran and Sanafir, which control the entry to the Gulf of Aqaba, sparked wars between Israel and Egypt. Jerusalem said it had no objections to the handover as long as Egypt's international commitments to Israel were honored by the Saudis. The Saudis said they would have nothing to do with Israel, but promised they would respect the agreements. An Egyptian political commentator wrote that if Israel agrees to the re-drawing of the borders between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, then the Israeli Knesset will need to approve the change to the Israel-Egypt peace agreement, Maariv reported.
 
Quick Hits:
  • The suspicion: Hate crimes - Five Jewish Israelis arrested for attacks against Palestinians - Pinchas Shandorfi (son of Rabbi Yigal Shandorfi, a Kahane supporter and head of yeshiva in ultra-Orthodox settlement, Nahliel) and two minors are suspected of making a severe nationalist crime against Palestinians whose details are under gag order. Shneur Dana and an unnamed combat soldier were also arrested. They are denied access to a lawyer. (Haaretz, Israel Hayom p. 17, Ynet, Maariv and Times of Israel)
  • Israel to release imprisoned Palestinian girl, 12, two months early - The youngest female prisoner incarcerated by Israel is to be freed on April 24. The preteen had been jailed for attempted manslaughter, on a plea bargain, after being caught near a settlement with a knife. (Haaretz+) 
  • Hebron soldier blames media for manslaughter prosecution - A soldier who killed a disarmed Palestinian assailant says he’s being hounded by army prosecutors because “they’re scared of the newspapers,” according to testimony revealed by Channel 2 News. (Maariv and Times of Israel) 
  • 21 former ministers "The norm of not harming a neutralized enemy is the expression of IDF moral values and law" - Former ministers came out in support of Defense Minister Ya'alon in an announcement: "We condemn the incitement, we oppose the de-legitimization against the defense minister because of his insistence on standing by combat ethics in the IDF." Signatories of the message (alphabetically): Effi Eitam, Miki Eitan, Yoram Aridor, Yossi Beilin, Roni Bar-On, Shaul Yahalom, Raanan Cohen, Ran Cohen, Ghaleb Majadleh, David Magen, Roni Milo, Michael Melchior, Dan Meridor, Orit Noked, Avraham Poraz, Ophir Pines-Paz, Haim Ramon, Avraham (Beige) Shohat, Meir Sheetrit, Ilan Shalgi and Yuli Tamir. (Maariv)
  • 186 IDF commanders take out ad in support of Defense Minister Yaalon and IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot - Letter published on full page of Yedioth says they reserve and retired commanders condemn the incitement and 'bestial attack' against Yaalon and Eisenkot, who lead the soldiers "with ethical combat values, which are the backbone of the IDF."
  • Likud minister: Media ignores anti-Netanyahu incitement - Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, MK Miki Zohar attack media over double standard on incitement, noting that anti-Left vitriol gets extensive coverage • "The hatred and hypocrisy toward the prime minister and Likud is beyond the pale," says Zohar. (Israel Hayom)
  • After Serving 15 Years in Egyptian Prison, Israel to Raze Home of Bedouin man accused by Egypt of being a 'Spy' for Israel - Ouda Tarabin has been ordered to knock down the house he is building in an unrecognized Negev village, where construction is banned. (Haaretz)
  • Palestinian Neighborhood, Abandoned by Jerusalem (Municipality), Paves Its Own Road - Residents of Ras Khamis, located beyond the separation barrier, take matters into their own hands after years of neglect by the municipality. (Haaretz+) 
  • Israeli Arabs Found New Political Group, Following Ban of Islamic Movement Branch - The group calling itself Loyalty and Reform has no plans for now to run in Israeli elections. (Haaretz+ and i24news)
  • Report: Secret Plan Sought to Give Sheldon and Miriam Adelson Control of Hadassah Hospital - Director of Israeli office of the Hadassah women's organization pursued secret deal, hatched among officials close to Netanyahu, to privatize parts of medical center, according to recordings obtained by Army Radio. (Haaretz)
  • Zionist medicine - A new state of the art hospital is being built in the town of Ashdod and needs medical professionals to work there. Directors of the hospital, in conjunction with Nefesh B'Nefesh, go to America to enlist the help of US medical professionals to fill the spots. (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel Lands Chief Quits Despite Criminal Probe Being Dropped - Lieberman’s term at the ILA, the government body charged with managing and marketing the state’s vast tracts of land, was only due to end in September. (Haaretz+) 
  • Citing poor memory, ailing (former defense minister) Ben-Eliezer denies all charges against him - Lawyers say 'entire incidents have been forgotten,' in response to indictment of ex-minister for four corruption charges. (Haaretz+) 
  • Study: Women Who Fled Holocaust Have High Suicide Rate - Those who came to Israel during the war are three times as likely to take their own life than those who survived the Holocaust in its entirety, new research shows. (Haaretz+) 
  • Holocaust survivor accuses: "Israel turned its back on us, it's cruel" - Shalom Stamberg escaped the Warsaw ghetto as a child and moved between concentration camps during the war, but survived. Today he volunteers in his city of Haifa on behalf of needy Holocaust survivors and calls on the government to do more for them. (Maariv) 
  • Israel Intends to Send More Drones to Azerbaijan in Coming Days, Meretz Chairwoman Claims - In letter to defense minister, Galon demands Israel halt delivery until Azeris pledge not to use Israeli arms against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. (Haaretz+)
  • Kosovar President Hashim Thaci expresses desire for relations with Israel - Kosovo elected a new president over the weekend. He didn't waste much time, quickly expressing his wishes to establish official relations with Israel and deepen the ties between the two peoples. (Yedioth/Ynet) 
  • Romanian press publish photos of alleged Mossad agents - Photos of Ron Weiner and David Geclowicz, arrested on suspicion of being Israeli spies, were published on the web. Their alleged spy ring reportedly also included Geclowicz’s brother, and another Israeli man. (Ynet and Israel Hayom)
  • Parts of Bible Were Written in First Temple Period, Say Archaeologists - Analysis of military records on pottery shows widespread literacy in the ancient Kingdom of Judah 2,500 years ago: Not only elites could read. (Haaretz) 
  • Archeological ‘missing link’ proves Israel was world center of ancient glass trade - 1600 year old glass kilns discovered by chance during construction of a railway line in Haifa demonstrate that Israel was at the center of the global glass trade during the late Roman period. (Ynet) 
  • WATCH: Saudi King Salman Addresses Egypt's Parliament in Historic Visit- Salman said both Egypt and Saudi Arabia were working towards the creation of a joint Arab force to fight terrorism, separate from the Islamic Military Alliance which was announced in December of last year. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Israel boycott spreads to the US: "The Intifada is here, Israel is fascist" - Channel 10 exposed the extent of the phenomenon on US campuses. An academic who founded the student movement for the Palestinian struggle in the US: "It is impossible to conquer and then claim self defense against the people you are occupying." (Maariv)
  • Clinton, Sanders Clash on Israel's 'Disproportionate' Actions During 2014 Gaza War - On CNN's 'State of the Union,' Clinton defends Israel's actions while Sanders says 'Palestinians must also be treated with respect.' (Haaretz) 
  • U.S. Jewish Groups Slam Sanders Following Comments on Israel - Jews in New York have been a crucial electorate in Democratic primaries, and many in the community have been offended by his statements that 'disproportionate' force was used in Gaza in the summer of 2014. (Haaretz)
  • Clinton: Expansion of Israeli Settlements in West Bank Is 'Not Helpful' - Reportedly tense conversation then secretary of state Clinton had with PM Netanyahu in 2010 was probably exaggerated in media, says Democratic front runner. (Haaretz)
  • Palestinians hope for Obama change of heart at UN - "There are indications that President Barack Obama may try to put a basis for a new era regarding the Palestinian-Israeli issue before leaving the White House after his achievements in Iran and Cuba," Palestinian Authority FM Riyad al-Maliki says. (Agencies, Israel Hayom) 
  • Bar-Mitzvah boy donates all his money for the children of Israel - Noah Holfstein, a 13-year-old scientist from New York, donated $76,000 to less fortunate Israeli children; the advanced technology of the 'Maker Bus' to pass throughout Israel will urge chidren to pursue their dreams of becoming scientists. (Ynet) 

Features:
The murky relations between the Hebrew University and its neighboring Palestinian village
A new Hebrew University building offers a revealing look at both the hardscrabble nature of an adjacent East Jerusalem village and the striking contrast between the two sites. (Nir Hasson, Haaretz+) 
The Yememite from the elite IDF unit (Sayeret Matkal): A warrior who tried to conquer Paris and was defeated in Israel
Benny Cohen was one of the familiar characters of the Tel Aviv Bohemia in the 60’s, who fled to Paris, returned to Israel and became addicted to drugs. Guess who from his former brothers-in-arms helped him and who did not…I asked a friend good at searching online to find me something about Frederic Goldschmidt de Rothschild, the little boy he babysat in Paris. It turns out that mischievous Frederick currently lives in Brussels, is a billionaire on a global scale, a film producer and has one of the world's great art collections. I wonder what he would do if he knew the state of his babysitter and security guard, or would he not bother to deal with a guy from the past who fell to drugs. (Natan Zehavi, Maariv with photos)
Lawrence of Arabia's Bullet Found, Proves He Didn't Lie
T.E. Lawrence, hero of the Arab Revolt, really was at the Hallat Amar train battle – and was also a supporter of a Zionist entity in Palestine. (Philippe Bohstrom, Haaretz)
Letters to the Editor: Jewish Suffering, the Occupation and the Right (Haaretz)

Commentary/Analysis:
The Judeo-Nazis in the Israel's Legislature (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) Racism is always offensive and it is important to fight it. But even racism has its shades, too. Knesset Member Bezalel Smotrich’s vocabulary is that of the master race. 
Fear and loathing in Jerusalem (Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, Israel Hayom) Jewish women who ask to be separated from Arabs in maternity wards are not motivated by racism, but are being protective.
The Likud has abandoned Ya’alon (Dan Meridor, Yedioth/Ynet) Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s recent protection of the IDF and its values should be lauded by his fellow ministers. Instead, he’s been left to fend off his attackers alone. 
Israel Should Let Conscientious Objector Serve Both Society and Her Conscience (Haaretz Editorial) The army fears people like Tair Kaminer - but this fear is unjustified and even exposes the IDF’s hypocritical behavior: Most Israeli youths want to be drafted. Kaminer’s individual punishment is unfair. 
Netanyahu took a big risk revealing state secrets (Yossi Melman, Maariv) The Prime Minister revealed that Israel attacked in Syria dozens of weapons shipments on their way to Hezbollah. It is clear the Assad regime and also the terror organization won’t like what Netanyahu said. His words present them as weak. 
Yes Europe, Terrorists Should Pay With Their Citizenship (Emanuel Gross, Haaretz+) International law allows for the practice of revoking citizenship and it's written into Israeli law. It's inconceivable that Europe fails to do so after the attacks in Paris, Brussels.
What happened to all the stabbing attacks? (Yoav Zitun, Ynet) A combination of goodwill gestures by the IDF, better tactical operations, and proactive measures taken by the Palestinian security services has discouraged Palestinians from carrying out stabbing attacks in the past few weeks. 
Israel's success against terrorism (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) The patience shown by the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff has proved to be the most effective tool against the knife intifada.
As an Israeli Arab, I Now Appreciate Why It’s Hard to Be a Jew! (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) Even when Jews try to enjoy themselves, I realized when traveling in Rome, they get 2,000 years of bitterness cast in their faces
Not inspiring fear (Alex Fishman, Yedioth) The supply of Russian S-300 missiles has mainly symbolic significance: As long as they don't deploy them to Syria and Lebanon they don't threaten Israel. The Israeli Air Force will know how to deal with them if we attack Iranian nuclear facilities in the future.
Neighbors Why did Egypt ask the Saudi king if Israel would betray it? (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) The official rapprochement between Israel and Turkey is being preceded by the Saudi king’s efforts to bring about a Turkish-Egyptian reconciliation: 'If you can make peace with Israel, you can make peace with Egypt.' 
Danny Dayan joined the (Israeli) ambassadors representing a binational state, envoys of the Yesha settler Council (Uri Savir, Maariv) The appointment of a politician, who is loyal to the settlement expansion policy, as consul in New York falls in line with the ‘appointments on behalf of’ and situates Israeli foreign policy as detached from the Jewish public opinion in the United States. 
What Egypt's Handover of the Red Sea Islands to Saudi Arabia Means for Israel (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Egypt made an excellent deal: It receives an outstanding economic lifeline in exchange for territories that it does not even own. However, this rescue line is also a knotted rope that turns Egypt into a Saudi satellite state. 
Read Sea Islands Deal Boosts Chances for Deals Between Israel, Palestinians and Arab States (Amir Oren, Haaretz+) The name of the game is regional cooperation for mutual benefit. The islands deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia is a good example of a creative idea that invites imitation.
The day after Obama (Zalman Shoval, Israel Hayom) It is difficult to know how much influence the outgoing president's foreign policy doctrine will have on his successor in the White House. 
Corrupt Palestinian officials too comfortable to resist the Israeli occupation (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Palestinians don’t need the Panama Papers to expose what they see as corruption in the ranks of their leaders — there is visible concrete evidence of it everywhere.
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.

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