News Nosh 06.22.16

APN's daily news review from Israel
Wednesday June 22, 2016
 
Quote of the day:
"...in the end you say you made a 'mistake.' You people say that as if you made a mistake in counting money."
--Rafat Badran, the father of Mahmoud, 15, who was killed by the IDF 'by mistake,' spoke to IDF Army Radio.**


Front Page:
Haaretz
Yedioth Ahronoth
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
  • “Israel receiving the best war instrument in the world” – says Israeli pilot about the F-35 to be given to Israel in a special ceremony in Dallas today
  • Despite the opposition of the industrialists: Government to discuss initiative of having a long weekend
  • “The time has arrived to bring justice” – Right-wing and left-wing politicians demanded yesterday to open protocols of the affair of the kidnapped Yemenite children
  • There was no kidnapping // Dr. Dov Leviatan
  • A signed Pandora’s box // (Famous Yemenite-Israeli singer) Boaz Sharabi on his sister, who disappeared at the age of 1
  • Fear of flare up: 15-year-old Palestinian killed by mistake
  • Doctor at Clalit HMO suspected of molesting patient who was a minor
Israel Hayom

News Summary:
The storm over the IDF killing an innocent Palestinian boy, the excitement over the likelihood that the government will reveal the confidential investigation behind the state’s undeclared kidnapping of the children of Yemenite immigrants,
the expectation ahead of the transfer of F-35s to Israel today, and the concern of Israeli ministers’ and MKs’ over a police document with intelligence information against them were today’s top stories in the Hebrew newspapers.

And in diplomacy, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is attempting to soften the Mideast Quartet report, which blames Israel for the impasse in the peace process, and he has yet to decide whether to finalize the US defense aid deal. Also, an Israel-Turkey reconciliation deal may be concluded on June 26, Turkish officials confirmed, raising hopes for the Israeli gas sector.
 
**The Israeli army opened an investigation into the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Palestinian teen Tuesday, which the army called a 'mistake' and the Palestinians called ‘indiscriminate shooting’ and ‘killing in cold blood.’ After a stone-throwing incident that lightly injured three people on a major highway that crosses the West Bank, soldiers from the Kfir Brigade responded to the incident by grabbing two suspects and also by 'erroneously' opening fire with a weapon, the army said. The soldier(s) opened fire on a car with Palestinian license plates that was transporting Palestinian youth back home from a pool in a nearby village. They killed Mahmoud Rafat Badran, 15, and seriously injured his two brothers, as well as two other youth in the vehicle. The youth in the car were not involved in the stone-throwing incident, said the army. The army probe will focus on whether soldiers opened fire according to protocol. The PLO said the soldiers shot 'indiscriminately' and referred to the killing of Mahmoud Rafat Badran as a “cold-blooded assassination” and an 'extrajudicial execution. Palestinian leadership called for an immediate UN-led investigation. Rafat Badran, the father of Mahmoud, spoke to Army Radio, expressing his pain at his loss while criticizing the IDF's conduct, Maariv reported. Badran said that Israel was not investigating the incident seriously: "You declared that you made a mistake. In the end you killed a child, you cut off the dream of a child who wanted to be a doctor and play soccer for Real Madrid, and in the end you say you made a mistake. You people say that as if you made a mistake in counting money. That's how you see this thing in your army. " Nevertheless, Badran called to end the bloodshed and said: "Yesterday, (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas spoke with me. He supports peace. I told him I was ready for my blood be the last incident." In the Knesset, Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said, "Soldiers from the Kfir unit are sadists who shot a child in cold blood," causing a storm in the plenum, Maariv reported. [Extremist – OH] Likud MKs Anat Berko and Oren Hazan interrupted him and Tibi told Berko: "Shut your mouth.” His fellow faction members asked the Jewish members of the plenum: "Is every Arab a terrorist?"
 
Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit denied that police had collected and concealed information on criminal acts by elected officials, despite the report that the police had a dossier on every MK and Ministers' alleged crimes. Maariv reported that there was suspicion that the police had criminal information collected on Minister Gilad Erdan, who serves as Public Security Minister, making him in charge of the police.
 
Quick Hits:
  • Wording of ‘NGO bill’ softened, special name tags at Knesset sessions won't be required - MK Nissan Slomiansky breaks with Habayit Hayehudi, rejects demand for NGOs to identify donors in court petitions, and for staff to wear name tags; opposition MKs slam anti-leftist slant of bill. (Haaretz+ and Times of Israel)
  • Backtracking on Past Decision, Israel Refuses to Recognize Palestinian University's Degrees - Recognition of degrees from Al-Quds University would increase nursing graduates' salaries, make them eligible for promotions and enable them enter certain job tenders. (Haaretz+) 
  • New red alert for tunnel digging into Israel - Israel's southern citizens will now be informed via SMS of Hamas tuunel-digging activity and will be asked to go home and turn off the lights; Military official: "They need to understand that not every alarm means terrorists have entered Israel.' (Yedioth/Ynet)
  • Israel razes home of Palestinian who killed U.S. tourist in Jaffa rampage - Bashar Masalha of the West Bank village of Hajjah stabbed Taylor Force to death and wounded eleven others before he was subdued near the promenade. (Haaretz and Maan)
  • 'Majority of Israeli Arabs don't see Hezbollah as terror group' - Despite suffering Hezbollah rocket fire during 2006 Second Lebanon War, prominent Israeli Arab leader admits sector does not think of the Shiite organization as a terrorist group. "People are willing to pay the price in the name of pan-Arabism," he says. (Israel Hayom)
  • Four Out of Five (Palestinian) East Jerusalemites Live in Poverty, a Sharp Rise Over Past Years - Separation wall cited as key reason for growing impoverishment, along with the upsurge in violence and lack of welfare benefits. (Haaretz+) 
  • Families of slain Palestinians still held by Israel protest outside mortuary in Jaffa - As parents held up signs emblazoned with the names of their children and the dates they were killed, the slain bodies, only a few meters away, lay inside locked refrigerators in Israel’s mortuary, withheld from the families since the day they were killed by Israeli forces. (Maan)
  • Jewish Radicals Disrupt Greek Orthodox Pentecost Prayer in Jerusalem, Calling Worshipers 'Evil' - Police were on hand to prevent confrontations as Christian worshipers held an annual Pentecost observance at the presumed site of the Room of the Last Supper, and the presumed Tomb of King David. (Haaretz)
  • Booklets demonizing IDF draft spread in mainstream yeshivas - Anti-IDF propaganda that compares IDF soldiers to Nazis and cannibals are being distributed in mainstream yeshivas, insisting that the students refrain from the draft; 'for every person that they draft, they get money—a lot of money.' (Ynet)
  • Israeli forces raid cells of PFLP prisoners following mass hunger strike - Forces raided and carried out punitive measures against PFLP-affiliated prisoners, including confiscating their electronic devices, after the prisoners held a hunger-strike to protest Israel’s recent decision to sentence PFLP-affiliated prisoner Bilal Kayid to six months of administrative detention just as he had completed his 14.5 year prison sentence. (Maan
  • Israeli forces injure 3 Palestinians during raid in Tulkarem-area refugee camp - Israeli forces shot and injured three young Palestinian men, one in the back, when clashes erupted in the Nur Shams refugee camp following predawn detention raids in the camp. (Maan
  • Decrease in number of Israeli college graduates - For the first time in 20 years, the number of graduates from institutions of higher education in Israel has decreased; this two-percent drop is overall, as there was a 4.6%-increase in the number of doctoral degrees awarded. (Ynet
  • Channel One poll: Who should lead the Likud - Ya'alon Netanyahu? Data released shows declines in the number of seats to Likud and the Zionist Camp, and only 10 seats for former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon, in the event he runs for prime minister. However, surprise results for the question about who should lead the ruling party, Likud: Netanyahu and Yaalon tied with 27% each, Gideon Saar received 20% and none of them received 26%. (Maariv)
  • Attention! Israeli Soldiers Form Up for Google's Top Exec - Standing between two fighter jets, troops formed the word 'Google' for a visiting Eric Schmidt in a move that sparked public outrage. (Haaretz+ and Israel Hayom)
  • Former Shin Bet official: Israeli profiling is not what Trump says - A former senior official in Israel's security establishment discussed with Ynet profiling in Israeli travel and insisted that it has nothing to do with race or religion; an Arab Meretz MK strongly disagreed: 'If you're Arab and Muslim, you're a potential suspect.' (Ynet)
  • Israel intercepts wet suit shipment bound for Gaza terrorists - Security guards and Shin Bet personnel at Kerem Shalom crossing discover and seize illicit shipment of dozens of professional wet suits • Wet suits hidden among sports equipment and clothing shipped by supplier in PA-ruled part of West Bank. (Israel Hayom)  
  • Gaza imports watermelon from Israel, lifting 8 year ban - The ministry decided to allow the entrance of watermelon for three days in order to lower the prices in Gaza’s local market, which occurred due to a shortage in Gaza. (Maan
  • Israel to invest more than $6 million in public buildings for former Gaza settlers - Funds earmarked for erecting and completing communal structures in fast-growing Be'er Ganim and Nitzan. (Haaretz+) 
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem jumps to 17th in ranking of top Asian universities - Hebrew University’s placement in the 2016 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings represented an eight-spot jump from the previous year, when it placed #25. (Haaretz
  • Poll: 14% of all Israelis are divorced, Jews divorce more than Muslims - Central Bureau of Statistics data show Israel 29th out of 39 developed nations in terms of divorce rate, in 2014; Eilat's rate highest of all cities; least divorces among ultra-Orthodox. (Haaretz+) 
  • The Israeli Answer to WhatsApp Is Big in Eastern Europe - and Iraq - Not Waze or Gett but Viber, with its 250 million active users per month, is the most widespread Israeli app used worldwide. (Haaretz+)
  • Palestinian Authority sets municipal elections for October 8 -  It was unclear if the elections would include the besieged Gaza Strip, where Hamas has ruled since the movement’s victory in the 2006 general elections. (Maan)
  • WATCH: British PM Says Israel Needs United Kingdom to Remain in EU to Fight BDS, Iranian Nukes - David Cameron tells Jewish community event in London that 'Brexit' would leave U.K. powerless to fight for its Israeli ally. (Haaretz)
  • How would Brexit affect Israel? - Israeli analysts are divided on what Brexit means for Israel, some believe that it portends negative changes and will empower the anti-Israeli elements of the European Union; meanwhile, others hold that it strengthens the case for nationalism in the 21st century and thereby, Israel as well; Palestinian analysts say regardless of results, there is a growing trend of sympathy for Palestinian cause in the UK and Europe. (Ynet
  • Dutch Jewish Man Reports anti-Semitic Abuse After Posing With Israeli Flag - The man says passersby who saw him posing with the flag in his backyard circled his home, shouting anti-Semitic slogans, including 'cancer Zionists.' (JTA, Haaretz
  • Pollard Could Still Damage U.S. Interests, Intelligence Community Says - In response to a petition to ease some of Pollard's parole restrictions, official says he had access to human intelligence that could still prove harmful should it be disclosed. (Haaretz
  • GOP Zeroes in on 'Stridently anti-Israel' Democrats Ahead of Convention - Republican Jewish Coalition launches online ads alleging that 'Democrats are doing everything they can to destroy the pro-Israel consensus that has existed for past sixty years.’ (Haaretz
  • ZOA's Morton Klein Backs Trump's Call for Profiling Muslims - 'In an era in which the vast majority of terrorism is committed by Muslims, in order to protect American citizens, we should adopt the same profiling policies as Israel and be more thorough in vetting Muslims.' (Haaretz
  • Ancient Egyptian Relics Returned After Surfacing at Israeli Auction - It is still unclear how the two rare sarcophagus covers reached Israel, but the were returned Tuesday to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. (Agencies, Haaretz)
  • Egypt Declares Void Red Sea Islands Deal With Saudi Arabia - The court ruling to cancel the agreement constitutes a setback for Egyptian President al-Sissi, who urged the Egyptian public to end the controversy surrounding the handover. (Agencies, Haaretz
  • Iraqi Forces Push Forward, but ISIS Still Holds Most of Fallujah - Fighting to recapture the Iraqi city longest held by Islamic State, now in its fifth week, has forced more than 85,000 residents to flee to overwhelmed government-run camps. (Agencies, Haaretz
  • Boeing confirms $25 billion plane deal with Iran Air - Aerospace giant to supply Iranian carrier with 100 passenger jetliners • Deal is the first between Boeing and Iran since 1979 • "All contracts with Iran's airlines will be contingent upon U.S. government approval," Boeing says. (Israel Hayom)
  • Israel Military Industries inks $39M deal with US civilian market - Defense contractor to supply U.S. civilian market with small caliber ammunition used for hunting, sports, and in shooting ranges • Deal is part of IMI's business strategy seeking to direct one-third of the company sales to the civilian market. (Israel Hayom)


Features:
"The unopened Pandora's box of Yemenite children": Boaz Sharabi on his sister, who disappeared at age one
…I had tears in my eyes when I heard the debate in the Knesset, the testimonials of people - laymen and intellectuals alike - who spoke about [the kidnapping by Israeli authorities of children of Yemenite immigrants. The children were given to Ashkenazi families who had no children. – OH]. It reminded me of all my thoughts and feelings from early childhood till today. I felt strongly the feeling that nestles within me since my sister disappeared when she was a one-year-old baby. They told my mother and thousands of other mothers and fathers after the disappearance of their children: "Your child is dead." But there was no death certificate and no grave. There were cases of families receiving military draft notices for their (missing) children. Who receives a draft notice if he is dead? How did children at age 18 receive IDF draft orders? There is a bluff here. I, a devout Jew, a Zionist in my ideology and an Israeli patriot, say to myself: How could this happen to me after what the people of Israel went through in the Holocaust? How could it be that we came to Israel to build and be built and things happen to me here, which are hard to believe that can happen at all. Since then, for many years, when I would walk down the street, I looked around me, maybe there is a girl who looks like me, maybe she is my sister. I am only sorry so many Knesset members stood up and walked out in the middle of the debate. It seems as if they have no patience and they are cut off (from reality). But this time leading people promised to go all out and bring out the truth. It is important for me to note and praise the blessed work of journalist Rina Matzliach and MK Nurit Koren. Well done and congratulations to them. They are leading in bringing the truth to light. I don’t want revenge, I am not here to be angry. I just want the truth to come to light for the sake of my sons and for sake of the people of Israel. (Boaz Sharabi, Maariv)
"They told me my sister died, but I saw her peeking from a window"
They grew up in the shadow of the family pain and the claims of the kidnappings of their dear ones. Yonah Yosef saw her sister alive, after she was told she had died. Attorney Yossi Gamliel found documents allegedly proving that his brother was released from hospital, despite that a certificate of his death was provided. Now they stand at the front of a battle to publish the investigation documents in the affair. "If the state claims that no children disappeared, then why (are the files) confidential until 2071?" (Noam Barkan, Yedioth's '24 Hours' supplement, cover)
'Settlers' Documentary Turns a Blind Eye to the Horror of West Bank Life
With its mistaken point of departure, over-cautiousness and absence of realistic portrayals of Palestinian life, the new documentary by Shimon Dotan disappoints. (Uri Klein, Haaretz+)
 
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel Incapable of Telling Truth About Water It Steals From Palestinians (Amira Hass, Haaretz+) Water is the only issue in which Israel (still) finds it difficult to defend its discriminatory, oppressive and destructive policy with pretexts of security and God. 
This is how economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians will bear a regional ‘exit’ (Uri Savir, Maariv) We must take advantage of being a high-tech superpower for the sake of sustainable peace. Joint start-up ventures with companies in Palestine are beneficial to both sides, and this how we will break into markets of the Persian Gulf. 
Israel's Negotiating Expert (Haaretz Editorial) Israelis are paying compound interest on Netanyahu’s war against Obama, to the point that it is undermining the strength and quality of the IDF. 
Israel's aid to Cyprus -- an added value (Ariel Bolstein, Israel Hayom) Israel's international relief efforts serve an important moral cause, but they also help Israel's public diplomacy efforts. 
What's a Few Extra Millions for the Settlements? (Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz+) The settlements exist because of all the Israelis who are willing to continue to pay the taxes that finance the settlers and to be their hostages.
The government's policy puts IDF commanders in impossible situations (Ran Adelist, Maariv) Unlike the public trial held for the soldier Elor Azariya, there are other cases that are quietly closed, such as the case of Lt. Col. Neria Yeshurun, who ordered the bombardment of a Gazan medical clinic as a ‘barrage of honor’ for an officer killed the day before. The case was closed with only a reprimand for ordering a ‘revenge barrage.’Such cases escape receiving proper legal treatment. That is a real failure. 
The French initiative will bring no peace (Zeev Jabotinsky, Israel Hayom) Better to expand Israeli rule over Judea and Samaria than adopt a "peace" initiative that will perpetuate the state of war.
Do you have complaints for Netanyahu? Prepare to receive curses from him - and no answers to the content (Yitzhak Ben-Ner, Maariv) At the Responses Council of the Prime Minister, they never responde to his failures or to charges brought against him. And the response pattern is the same: without ideology or principles.
Congrats, Netanyahu. A New Low (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) The moral is this: If Benjamin Netanyahu can do something like this to someone like this, he can do anything to anyone.
The voice of experience (Maj. Gen. (ret.) Gershon Hacohen, Israel Hayom) With social media dictating public agenda, the IDF faces new challenges and it must provide officers with a wider framework of support.
 
Interviews:
The violinist-optimist
It's hard for Itzhak Perlman to count all the decorations and medals that he's received, including three from different US presidents, but winning the Genesis Prize, which will be awarded to him in Israel along with a million-dollar check, is particularly moving for him, but also something of a headache; "It's a very Jewish prize, because everybody wants a piece of it," said the violin virtuoso who overcame polio and never backed down from fighting any kind of discrimination. (Interviewed by Tzipi Shmilovitz in Yedioth/Ynet)
 
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.