APN's daily news review from Israel

Sunday May 08, 2016
 

 

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Front Page:

Haaretz

Yedioth Ahronoth

Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)

Israel Hayom

News Summary:
Parents of soldiers killed in Operation Protective Edge are now demanding the release of the full State Comptroller report on leadership failures in the war with Gaza in 2014 as politicians slam Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Hamas and Israel came to an agreement ending four days of exchange of fire, a mobster was killed and the papers began sharing stories of fallen soldiers and those that bereave them ahead of Israel’s Memorial Day Wednesday. making top news in today's papers. Also in the news, the Associated Press revealed that with US acquiescence, the Mideast Quartet report slammed Israel over settlements and Haaretz+ reported that Israel is trying to convince the US to soften the report. Not in the Hebrew news, the Palestinian cabinet said Saturday it would end security coordination with Israel. 
 
After a leaked portion of the report on the failures by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yaalon in the management of the 2014 war, parents and opposition politicians (not including Yair Lapid) have been lambasting the Prime Minister. Both former Likud minister Gideon Saar and the State Comptroller said that instead of attacking the critics, Netanyahu should focus on answering the report.
 
Meanwhile, as the storm over the report rages, an agreement has been made between Israel and Gaza to end the skirmish that took place for the last four days. According to the agreement, Israeli incursions into Gaza are limited to 100 meters, Yedioth/Ynet’s Elior Levy reported. A day after an Israeli airstrike killed a 60-year-old Palestinian woman in Gaza Thursday, the situation escalated even more when a Gaza rocket fell in open area inside Israel early Saturday, causing no injuries or damage. The papers wrote that it was the first rocket over the past week to target civilians rather than IDF forces working on the border, [Note: it was shot in an open-area and not inside a residential area - OH] after some 16 mortar shells were launched at troops operating near the border. Israeli airstrikes continued Saturday until international representatives brokered the agreement. Speaking before Friday prayers, Hamas's deputy leader Ismail Haniyeh said “We are not calling for a new war,” but maintained that Hamas would not tolerate Israeli incursions into Gaza, which violated the Egypt-sponsored ceasefire reached after Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
 
The US approved harsh language against Israel for its settlements, demolitions and property seizures on land the Palestinians claim for a future state, all to be described in a Mideast Quarter report to be released at the end of May, diplomats told the AP, marking a subtle shift in its policy towards Israel. (Also Maariv) Israel is lobbying to soften the tone and to prevent the mentioning of future possible steps by the UN Security Council on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Haaretz’s Barak Ravid reported. Moreover, the US State Department will look closely into allegations of Israeli human rights violations, after a letter from Senator Patrick Leahy and 10 other Democrats requested a reassessment of military aid due to alleged 'gross violations of human rights.'
 

Quick Hits:

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Features:

Palestinian Family Grapples With Siblings' Deaths as Israel Refuses to Release Bodies, Video
The bereaved father of Maram and Tahah is convinced that their double killing at the Qalandiyah checkpoint could have been prevented: 'Even if she had a knife, she was far away from them,' he says as Maram's two daughters still wait for her promised return. (Gideon Levy and Alex Levac, Haaretz+VIDEO)
220 knocks on the door: an exclusive interview with the head of the Casualties Administration
After 28 years of service, Col. Yaffa Mor shares her experiences maintaining relationships with the families of fallen and MIA soldiers: 'It's a part of me.' (Chen Kotas-Bar, Yedioth/Ynet)
One Woman's Journey to a Place Israelis Prefer to See as a Black Hole
A collection of strange tales by author, editor and translator Ilana Hammeman about a woman, no longer young, who drives a rattling red car and speaks with and helps people in a place that some think may not even exist - beyond the Green Line. (Omri Herzog, Haaretz+) 
One fate connected between them
They understand each other without speaking. The longing, the memories, the pain that never leaves. They are all bereaved parents, they all lost their sons in the Second Lebanon War - eight IDF soldieres whose lives were taken in a moment. Since then, and for a decade, the parents hold on to each other, meeting once every month: With sadness but also at happy occassions. A moment before Memorial Day Noam Barkan met the most Israeli support group there is. (Noam Barkan, Yedioth's '24 Hours' supplement, cover)
Romeo and Juliet' takes on local twist in Gaza performance
Instead of the forbidden love story of Renaissance-era European aristocracy, the star-crossed young couple in the Palestinian version is divided by politics - Yousef is the son of a Hamas member, while Suha is the daughter of a Fatah member. (Agencies, Ynet) 
Is Abduction of Yemenite Children in Israel's Early Days Akin to Nazi Crimes?
The Yemenite children affair is a central theme of Iris Eliya Cohen’s third novel, but the way it’s handled gives pause for thought about the stuff of which best sellers are made in Israel. (Alit Karp, Haaretz+) 
The Ghosts Who Rule Us: A Book Review by Israeli Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog
Anyone familiar with the Israeli system of government cannot simply reject such a scenario, involving revenge and corruption on a vast scale. (Isaac Herzog, Haaretz+) 
What Exactly Is anti-Semitism?
Starting with a 19th-century German rabble-rouser, Kenneth Marcus does an admirable job explaining the issues in his new book, but a conclusive definition remains elusive. (Rafael Medoff, Haaretz+)
After years in the wilderness, Israelis return to Sinai’s beaches
Egyptian peninsula was long considered out of bounds for Israelis, but they’re venturing south once more – and it's not just hippies. (Roy Arad, Haaretz+) 
The story behind the most influential newspaper column in Israel's history
An intimate conversation with the leaders of the Jewish militias on the night that the UN announced the partition of Palestine inspired Natan Alterman to write the quintessential poem of bereavement and resurrection. (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) 
In Druze elementary school, Cinderella story gets gender-reverse treatment
A gender studies program exposes kids in a Golan Heights village to a different way of thinking. (Noa Shpigel, Haaretz+) 
After almost 50 years of Israeli rule, Jews still a minority on Golan Heights
Quality of life, sane housing prices, incredible scenery 
and quiet have failed to lure many Israelis to settle there, while local Druze and Arabs are still more connected to their Syrian brethren. (Hagai Amit, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
The Israeli Generals Who Shoot and Cry and Shoot Again (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) It’s nice that some of Israel’s most senior commanders are sounding the moral alarm, but what are they doing to change anything? 
The barrel of explosives of the economic distress of the Gaza Strip will explode in our faces (Yossi Melman, Maariv) It can be assumed that this round of a skirmish has ended, but the fundamental problem has not been resolved. At least four ministers support the establishment of a port for the Palestinians - but Netanyahu and Ya'alon continue to ignore.
Outgoing Shin Bet chief presided over quiet time by Israeli standards (Amos Harel, Haaretz+) Yoram Cohen’s five years heading the security service saw him oversee the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap and trade blows with Military Intelligence over the 2014 Gaza war. And despite the recent outbreak of violence in the West Bank, he maintained a good relationship with his Palestinian counterparts. Haaretz reviews his term in office. 
Blustering towards an escalation? (Ron Ben-Yishai, Ynet) Hamas's political and military wings are finally appreciating Israel's prowess at tunnel-detection; they must decide if they want to to risk everything or de-escalate. 
Why British Jews Voted for Sadiq Khan Through Gritted Teeth (Colin Shindler, Haaretz+) The party’s current anti-Semitism crisis and the collapse of community support means it’s easy to forget that decades ago most British Jews felt that Labour was their natural home. What happened? 
The Criticism-proof Prime Minister of Israel (Haaretz Editorial) Leaders are judged on their ability to listen to and implement criticism. Netanyahu’s resistance to being the subject of criticism is additional proof that he is not suited to be premier.
Progress doesn't negate horror (Ben-Dror Yemini, Yedioth/Ynet) People of culture, taste and sophistication, the educated elite, all of them joined in the Nuremburg laws and, later, in carrying out the horrors that followed.
How the Israeli Army Became an Unlikely Voice for Restraint in an Increasingly Radicalizing Society (Asher Schechter, Haaretz+) With ultranationalism on the rise, Israel’s security establishment is suddenly troubled by a phenomenon that is largely its own creation. 
Words can have consequences (Dan Margalit, Israel Hayom) There may be worrying trends in Israel, but in terms of substance, Israel and the Weimar Republic are worlds apart.
The statement of the deputy chief of staff - one of the lowest points of the IDF (Kalman Libeskind, Maariv) The fact that General Yair Golan will continue to serve in his position proves - there is no price to pay for anything. But this is a symptom of a trend - Jews who can’t finish a sentence about the situation here without comparing us to Nazi Germany. 
The remarks of Deputy Chief of Staff are appropriate and we should invest funds to implement (changes) (Udi Segal, Maariv) Between Holocaust Day and Independence Day it is important to remember that the lessons do not necessitate that we be the threatening neighborhood bully, but rather o speak up in front of injustices done to others. We need to invest more resources to cultivate our moral side. 
Scoring an own goal (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan should understand the power of his words.
The Simple Truth About Trump’s Success and Netanyahu’s (Rogel Alpher, Haaretz+) Like every society, America and Israel are made up of many stupid people. 
The wrong recipe: annexation (of the West Bank) would bring disaster to Israel (Prof. Cielo Rosenberg, Maariv) A binational state is the destruction of the Zionist dream, but mostly it would lead to continued violence and friction and to danger to Israel’s ability to remain Jewish and democratic. 
Everyone's hero  (Emily Amrousi, Israel Hayom) A decade after the Second Lebanon War, the legend of Roi Klein -- the deputy commander who jumped on a live grenade to save his fellow soldiers -- has been etched into our collective memory as a rare example of heroism in an age sorely lacking in heroes.
A Powerful BDS Movement Would Be as Unjust as the Occupation (Brian Reeves, Haaretz+) Say the BDS campaign gained real power. Would it really stop before destroying Israel, whose existence it consistently bewails? The most reasonable answer is that it wouldn’t. A response to Gideon Levy’s article castigating the Israeli left for supposedly remaining blind to the reality that BDS is the only way to end the occupation. 
Battle legacy: The State Comptroller’s grave report about Operation Protective Edge a rock is nothing less than shocking (Ben Caspit, Maariv) Although Netanyahu has tried to bury any criticism of the farce called Operation Protective Edge, Shapira published a sharp and brave document that doesn’t let anyone off the hook. On the other hand, it may unite Netanyahu and Ya'alon despite the rift between them.
Crying Over the Fate of a Couch Won't Reassure the Iraqi Public (Zvi Bar’el, Haaretz+) Iraqi citizens are no longer prepared to accept that their oil- and gas-rich country cannot reliably provide them with electricity, water, social services and reputable judges.
The correct equation (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) While some attempt to make a misleading connection between the Holocaust and the establishment of the Jewish state, they fail to see the equation as it is. The Jewish people were attacked both times, but in the War of Independence, we won.
Security Service: This how to bring about a dramatic decline in crime in the Arab sector (Nasreen Haddad Haj-Yehiyeh, Maariv) When police violence becomes a thing of the past and the police hotline answers quickly and in Arabic – the police will be able to lower crime among Arab citizens of Israel.

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.